


25 Days

by M_E_Scribbles



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: 25 Days of Fic-mas, Canon Snowball Fight, Christmas, Christmas Party, Clexa babies, Doctor Clarke, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grumpy Anya, Hanukkah, Heda Lexa, Hot Chocolate, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Making Wishes Come True, Model Lexa, Musician Clarke, Octavia isn't oblivious, Police Officer Lexa, Pranks, Reunited Spouses, Surprises, Ugly Sweaters, Uninvited Guests, accidental gift, annoying neighbor, break up to make up, friends helping friends, friends to something more, mixing traditions, sort of Fake/Pretend Relationship, wanheda clarke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-02-03 00:26:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 68,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12737340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_E_Scribbles/pseuds/M_E_Scribbles
Summary: I asked for prompts, I got them. So here comes a Christmas themed 25 Days of Ranya and Clexa!!1. The Request for Prompts2. Ugly Sweaters and Big Favors (Ranya & Clexa)3. Hawaiian Hullabaloo (Ranya)4. Christmas Party Surprise (Clexa)5. Serendipitous Meeting (Clexa)6. Christmas Isn't Her Favorite (Ranya)7. Merry Hanukkah! (Clexa)8. Surprises for Everyone  (Ranya)9. Years in the Making (Clexa)10. Lexa's Christmas Wish (Clexa)11. Unexpected Gift (Ranya)12. Merry Christmas, Love (Clexa)13. American Christmas Prep (Clexa & Ranya)14. First Snow(ball Fight) (Clexa)15. Secrets in the Snow (Clexa)16. Hot Chocolate (Ranya)17. Anya = Scrooge (Ranya)18. Merry Christmas, Baby (Clexa)19. Color-coded Christmas Tree (Ranya)20. Christmas Homecoming (Clexa)21. The Bunny Hill (Ranya)22. Neon Christmas (Clexa)23. Neon Christmas 2 (Clexa)24. You Should Be With Me (Part 1) (Ranya & Clexa)25. You Should Be With Me (Part 2) (Ranya & Clexa)26. You Should Be With Me (Finale) (Ranya & Clexa)27. Happy New Year, Ms. Reyes (Ranya)





	1. Request for Prompts

**This isn't a one-shot... I just didn't want to delete this because people were nice enough to comment and give me prompts!!**

 

 

 

I've decided to do a 25 days of Ranya Christmas challenge this year. I should be done with my new Clexa work by then and have it nearly ready for posting, and the next Ranya one shot should be ready too. So why not?

I'm planning on making a list of prompts and posting to Tumblr in case anyone else wants to try it out! Even if it's only a few of the days and not the whole thing.

So yes!! Send me your favorite Christmas/Snowing tropes and prompts and I'll get things rolling!!

And Hanukkah!! (Although you'll have to give me some extra information for those prompts, I don't know too much about Hanukkah and I don't want to get it wrong!!

 

(Yes. I know, I know. This isn't a fic. Someone will threaten to report me. Blah, blah, blah... Let's all be adults and just skip that part?)

 

 

 

**This isn't a one-shot... I just didn't want to delete this because people were nice enough to comment and give me prompts!!**


	2. Ugly Sweaters and Big Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Clarke present Anya and Lexa with unexpected gifts and ask for a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First prompt!! Here we go on an adventure of 25 prompts!! I wish us all luck!!

Pacing in the corridor was getting them nowhere. After their twentieth pass, Raven and Clarke’s eyes finally met.

“We could just...” Clarke started. Then she shook her head and dropped her eyes to the floor.

“This was such a dumb idea!” Raven whined, stopping in front of the door they’d been avoiding for a while now.

On a whim, she stomped forward and pounded on it.

“Raven!” Clarke hissed and grabbed her wrist. “What are you doing?”

“Yes, Reyes,” Another voice joined them. Two pairs of eyes widened as they swung around to face the tall dirty blonde. “What are you doing?”

The great Raven Reyes, the girl who graduated high school early and completed her PhD work before she was 23, an all-around genius, was speechless. She stared up at Anya Woods and could not pull any of the thousands of the words she knew from her brain. All she could do was blink and stare.

“Clarke?” Another voice sounded from within the apartment.

“Lexa!” Clarke squeaked.

A brunette hair appeared next to Anya. Big green eyes took in the silent women in the hallway, quirking a brow and waiting. Nothing happened.

“Anya?” Lexa spoke slowly.

“Yeah?” Anya replied.

Glancing at their neighbors again, Lexa turned to her sister. She jerked her head toward the women, “What’re they doing?”

“Don’t know,” Anya shrugged and took a sip of the beer she’d just opened when Raven had knocked. She lifted her hand and waved it in front of Raven’s face, “Earth to Reyes!”

“Anya!” Raven gasped and blinked rapidly.

“Been here for a few minutes, not sure why you’re surprised,” Anya chuckled. She stepped to the side and waved her free hand into the apartment. “Maybe we can continue this inside? I just got home and I’d like to sit down.”

A shove from Clarke had Raven stumbling forward. They entered the apartment and followed Lexa to the couch. Sinking into the cushions, they accepted the beers Anya and Lexa handed them. Then the sisters sat in the open chairs.

“So…” Anya arched a brow and smirked.

“So?’ Clarke echoed.

Lexa smiled and jerked her head toward the never-so-silent Raven, “What’s with her?”

“Yeah…” Clarke shook her head. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. She glanced at her sister and sighed, “Um… I…”

“Sweater!” Raven yelled and thrust the bag in her hand at Anya.

Anya nearly dropped her beer when she accepted the bag. She handed her beer off to Lexa. Opening the bag, she stared for a second before she reached inside and pulled out a sweater. A gaudy red and green and yellow sweater.

Next to her, Lexa’s snort of laughter pulled her attention, “Oh my…”

“Don’t know why you’re laughing,” Raven snapped, holding out the other bag in her hand.

Lexa set down her beer and took the bag. A green and grey sweater was waiting for her.

“Why?” Anya asked after she finished laughing.

Raven groaned and covered her face and fell back into the couch. Reaching over, Clarke rubbed her knee. Shaking her head, Raven groaned into her hands again.

“Raven and I need a favor,” Clarke said.

“Involving sweaters?” Lexa held the sweater in front of her.

The groan that Raven let out was more like an anguished yell. Clarke snorted and continued, “What are you two doing tonight?”

“Tonight?” Anya repeated. She stared at Raven, who was shaking her head and whimpering.

They’d reached the part of the conversation that Clarke had been dreading. She took another deep breath and said, “Yes. Tonight. You’re free right?”

“If I say yes,” Lexa started, meeting Clarke’s eyes, “does that mean I have to agree to do whatever you need me to do?”

Raven sat up straight and dropped her hands. She smiled and met Anya’s eyes, “I’ll stop blowing things up in our kitchen for a week if you agree.”

Narrowing her eyes, Anya leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, “Two weeks.”

“Deal,” Raven said, holding out her hand and smiling.

Taking her hand, Anya shook firmly. She started to ask a question but Clarke and Raven stood up and headed toward the door. She and Lexa followed closely.

“Wait,” Anya said, catching Raven’s elbow and turning her around. She blinked at the grin that met her. “What’s the favor?”

“Be ready in two hours?” Was all the response she got from Raven. Just before she closed the door, her head popped back in. “Wear the sweaters.”

Then Clarke and Raven were gone.

****

Two hours wasn’t much time really. Although, Lexa would have supposed it’d be easy to get dressed when half of her outfit was supplied for her. But… that green sweater with the grey stripes and big yellow scales of justice, which she somehow hadn’t seen until she’d put it on, was more than Lexa thought she could handle. Even so, she grabbed her favorite pair of black jeans and black knee-high boots. She might as well look as good as possible.

“Are you ready?” Anya asked through her door.

“Yeah,” Lexa replied.

Moments later, Lexa was bent over in their living room, her hands on her knees as she laughed. She sniffed and stood up, only to double over again.

“Are you done?” Anya snapped.

“Did you look in the mirror?” Lexa replied, wiping carefully at her eyes, trying to keep her nearly perfect makeup intact.

Anya huffed out a breath and headed toward the door, “Shut up, Lady Justice!”

“You’ve got police badges all over your sweater!” Lexa howled.

Whirling around, Anya pointed a finger at her little sister’s face, “Raven said no explosions for two weeks! Two weeks without nearly falling out of bed in the middle of the night because some new thing she invented self-destructing!”

“Badges!” Lexa said quietly, poking at one.

“Your girlfriend has something to do with this!”

“Not my girlfriend,” Lexa pointed out. “Hanging out a few times doesn’t make her my girlfriend.”

Anya opened the door and stomped into the hallway. Clarke and Raven were waiting for them. Lexa blushed at the appraising look Clarke gave her.

“You two look…” Clarke smiled and scrunched her brows together. “Um…”

“Dashing?” Lexa offered.

Glaring at Raven, Anya was almost daring her to laugh. She could see it in her eyes, the desire to make fun of the sweaters she’d insisted they wear.

“Reyes,” Anya said, her voice low.

“Hey,” Raven gave her a short wave. She pointed toward the elevator, “Shall we?”

Shaking her head, Anya crossed her arms over her chest. “I want to know what is going on.”

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” Raven replied. When Anya started to argue, Raven insisted, “Three weeks! No booms!”

“Fine,” Anya huffed, marching by her and jamming the button hard. “But why aren’t you two wearing sweaters?”

****

Twenty minutes later, they were outside a restaurant. A very fancy restaurant. And Clarke and Raven were looking guilty.

“So? What’s the deal?” Lexa asked, her hands jammed into her pockets nervously.

“Well…” Clarke said. Then she nudged Raven with an elbow.

Biting her lower lip, Raven nodded a few times before lifting her eyes to meet Anya’s. She swallowed thickly before unzipping her jacket to reveal a black sweater with a microscope over her chest. Then Clarke unzipped her jacket to show a blue sweater with little paint splotches.

“Okay…” Lexa said slowly. “You have them too. So what?”

“Well,” Clarke grinned. She stepped a little closer to Lexa and dropped her eyes to the ground. “I know you and I have been dancing around each other for a while. And I might have mentioned you to my mom.”

Blushing, Lexa tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and nodded, “I may have mentioned you too.”

“So the holidays were coming up and Mom asked about you and I didn’t know what to say,” Clarke added. She shot a glare at Raven, “Then Mom started in on Raven and how she never talks about her personal life. Rae tried to convince her it’s because it’s boring and nonexistant but Mom just kept pressing.”

“And this all involves me?” Anya asked.

“Mom thinks you’re dating,” Clarke responded, reaching forward to hook her finger into Lexa’s pocket to pull her just a bit closer.

Narrowing her eyes, Anya’s mouth snapped closed. She counted to ten before she asked, “And why would she think that?”

Raven’s ear grew red. She kicked at the salt on the sidewalk, “ _Imayhavetoldherwe’redating_.”

“Come again?” Anya demanded.

“That’s what she said,” Raven tried to joke.

“Reyes!” Anya growled.

Stomping, Raven whined. She had zero desire to have this conversation. She’d been all for avoiding the lie she’d told her mother. Surely Abby would have accepted Anya’s need to work as a detective. But no. Clarke insisted. Tell Abby the truth or she would. Raven offered a third option, the lie about her relationship with Anya was keeping her safe from Abby’s lectures over the holidays, so she said she’d bring Anya and Lexa into the charade and then pretend to end things after New Years.

“I told Mom you and I have been dating since September!” Raven said.

“You did what?” Anya took a step towards her, using her height as an advantage.

Raven held up her hands, “I’m sorry, she wouldn’t leave me alone. And I was annoyed. And you started pounding on my door about having food because the delivery guy got the wrong apartment again. She thought you meant you’d stopped for dinner and was lecturing me about not telling her I was seeing anyone. I just… went with it.”

“So you said we’ve been dating?” Anya shouted.

“Shhhh!” Raven waved her hands at her and stared over her shoulder.

Clarke laughed and pointed out an older couple approaching them, “That’s Mom and Kane. I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Lexa.”

“I’m not,” Lexa shrugged. “I was going to ask you soon anyway.”

“Really?” Clarke grinned.

Lexa pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her cheek, “Is that a yes?”

“Of course!” Throwing her arms around Lexa’s neck and hugging her.

“Can we not do that right now?” Anya snapped at them.

Panicking, Raven tugged on Anya’s arm until she faced her again. She met her tawny eyes with her own deep brown, wide and asking for help, “Please! Please don’t blow this from me!”

“Why should I help you?” Anya asked.

“Because you’re a big softy masquerading as a hardass?” Raven replied. When Anya stiffened, Raven shook her head, “I’m sorry! I just can’t deal with the holidays when Mom is harassing me about settling down. Or constantly parading people in front of me. I can’t do it again!”

Clenching her jaw, Anya considered her choices. She could blow this for Raven. She could tell Abby Griffin the truth. Or…

“Two months,” Anya finally said.

“What?” Raven replied.

Anya arched a brow and smiled, “Two months with no booms, Reyes. Give me two months and I’ll play your doting girlfriend all night. Deal?”

“Yes!” Raven shook her hand and nodded, “Deal!”

“Hello girls!” Abby said when she and Kane reached them. She glanced from one couple to the other, smiling at the way Raven’s girlfriend draped her arm securely around her waist.

“Mom,” Clarke replied. She smiled at Lexa before saying, “This is my girlfriend, Lexa.”

Abby quirked a brow at that, “girlfriend? That’s new.”

“Really new,” Lexa nodded and grinned at the woman on her arm. “I just asked her actually. Couldn’t help myself.”

“Shall we take this conversation inside?” Kane asked, stepping forward to open the door. “In the heat?”

****

Three hours later, the four women made their way back to their apartments. Clarke and Lexa were giggling and whispering to each other the whole way home. Behind them, rolling their eyes and muttering, their sisters were glaring at their backs.

“Stupid honeymoon period,” Raven growled.

“We’re going to have to make them trade-off nights or neither one of us is getting any sleep anytime soon,” Anya insisted. She shook her head when Lexa leaned in to catch Clarke’s lips in yet another kiss.

“Maybe I’ll just grab a bag and stay with you for a week. Let them get it all out of their system,” Raven said.

Clarke tore her lips away from Lexa and glared at her sister, “We haven’t slept together yet!”

“Yet,” Raven repeated. “That’s the operative word!”

Rolling her eyes, Clarke unlocked their door and pulled Lexa inside with her. That left Raven alone with Anya in the hallway.

“So…” Raven said slowly, leaning back on her heels and shoving her hands in her pockets.

“I had a surprisingly good time tonight,” Anya said, surprising them both.

Blinking up at her a few times, Raven asked, “You did?”

“I did.”

Taking a moment, Raven considered her. Then her tongue darted out to moistened her lips, and she cleared her throat. “So no booms for two months?”

At that, Anya smirked. She leaned into Raven’s space, “I’d like to adjust our deal.”

“You would?” Raven swallowed thickly.

“Yes.”

“How so?”

A couple of careful steps forward had Raven pinned to the wall by Anya’s proximity. Bracing her hands on either side of Raven’s head, Anya leaned into her, “I want to add a date.”

“Like a date date?” Raven croaked.

“Yes.”

Nodding, Raven smiled shyly, “Okay.”

“Then, I’d like to change something else with our deal too,” Anya leaned just a bit closer.

“What?”

“No unscheduled booms for two months.”

Even as she stared at Anya’s lips, Raven’s brows came together in confusion, "Why?"

“Well, Raven Reyes, I have every intention of blowing your mind sometime in the next two months.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	3. Hawaiian Hullabaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya never got to have a real Christmas so she doesn't really understand all the excitement about it. Then her new neighbor, the one living directly above her, starts to play Christmas music as loudly and as often as she can.
> 
> How long can Anya ignore the music? How long until she confronts the new neighbor?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Character A doesn’t feel the Christmas spirit but Character B, who lives above them, keeps playing Christmas carols really loud.

Never in a million would Anya Woods have thought she’d be _that_ neighbor. The one who insisted on quiet. The one who stood on a chair and whacked the ceiling of her luxury apartment with the handle of broom, shouting for the heathen above her to be reasonable.

“Why don’t you just go and ask them?” Her little sister, Lexa, asked for the tenth time.

“I shouldn’t have to!” Anya growled, glaring up at the now slightly dented ceiling. “Who does she think she is?”

Perking up a bit, Lexa leaned in to stare at the dents too. She grinned, “She?”

“What?” Anya snapped, her brown eyes narrowing as they met green.

“You said ‘who does she think she is?’ just now,” Lexa mimicked her voice as best she could. “Who is she?”

Deciding against answering, Anya hopped down from the chair and returned the broom to the closet. She grabbed her jacket and headed toward the door, “Let’s just go out for dinner. It’s only a matter of time before she starts playing – ”

The song that had been blaring quickly changed to the next, as if the woman upstairs knew what Anya was dreading. The first few notes of that Hawaiian themed song drifted through the ceiling. Barely suppressing her growl, Anya snatched her headphones of the little hook by the door and jammed them in her ears.

“Let’s go, Little One!” She snapped, tapping her foot to the beat of the rock music blaring in her ears.

“Don’t call me that!” Lexa insisted. She hurried to follow Anya out of the apartment, sparing one last glance at the dented ceiling.

Thankfully, the walk to the diner only took a few minutes. Anya and Lexa had both just come off long shifts, Lexa as a detective and Anya as an EMT. As was their ritual, they met up for breakfast before parting ways for sleep and responsibilities they had to answer to.

“So,” Lexa grinned and winked at her sister. She smiled up at Tris, the young waitress who usual served them, when she filled their coffee mugs. Then she turned her attention back to Anya, “Who is she?”

“Someone you’re going to give a noise violation to if she doesn’t turn that racket down the next time I ask!” Anya growled, taking a long drink of the steaming black coffee in front of her.

“Racket? Really Ahn?” Lexa chuckled. She added a fair amount of cream to her coffee, stirring it absentmindedly while she studied Anya.

Letting out a huff, Anya scowled at her, “Do not do that. Do not go all ‘detective’ on me!”

Shrugging, Lexa took a careful sip of her coffee, “Then tell me about this neighbor and why she’s getting to you.”

“Didn’t you hear it?” Anya whined, dropping her head hard onto the table.

“Hear what?”

“That noise she calls music!”

A flash of confusion crossed Lexa’s face before she understood. Then she was laughing. “Anya, that’s just Christmas music! I know you claim you hate the holidays, and I don’t blame you, but seriously? Your neighbor is festive! Only a couple more weeks now.”

“I hate Christmas,” Anya snapped.

Just as she spoke, Tris approached with their usual post-shift breakfasts. Eggs and pancakes and bacon for Anya and an egg-white only veggie omelet for Lexa. She overheard Anya’s declaration and laughed. “Complaining about the neighbor again?”

“All I ask is that she turn it down! Not off!” Anya insisted, lifting her head to glare up at the teenager.

“It’s Christmas!” Tris smiled.

Shaking her head, Lexa offered a few bills to Tris, twice the bill as usual, “She’s a real life Scrooge. Don’t let her get to you.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” Tris shrugged and took the money, tucking it into her apron. “Merry Christmas!”

“Bah humbug!” Anya shouted at the girl’s back.

****

Normally, Anya could just barely stand the holiday season. She and Lexa hadn’t had the most traditional of childhoods. They hadn’t really had a family to celebrate with. Their dad died when Anya was 20 and Lexa 15, leaving an unskilled and somewhat aimless Anya to raise her sister. Even before his death, his job took him away from home so often, the holidays never seemed to matter. Any extra money they had, after rent and food, went toward getting Lexa to and from school and to pay for Anya’s EMT training.

Somehow Lexa had earned a full-ride to a prestigious university nearby. She worked part-time and crammed in as many classes as she could to graduate early. When she saw how much Anya was struggling to support the two of them, she forgot about the very idea of law school and joined the police force.

So no. The Woods sisters never got a good and wholesome Christmas. They gave a few practical gifts to each other every year, maybe one that wasn’t so practical too, and they had an actual special home cooked dinner. That was it.

But the new neighbor, she wasn’t letting Anya casually forget the holiday season was upon them. No. She had to have Christmas music blasting whenever she was home. Which was apparently all the time!

“She’s driving me mad!” Anya shouted, her head tilted back so her voice was carried upward in the vain hope the Christmas-loving neighbor would hear and turn the music down.

“You’re fine,” Lexa replied, not even glancing up from the magazine she’d been looking at for an hour.

Narrowing her eyes, Anya swatted the magazine away. She tackled Lexa to the couch, growling when she found herself pinned to the couch, “Get off!”

“Calm down.”

“We said no police moves!” Anya struggled against the hold.

Laughing, Lexa applied a bit more pressure to get her to stop moving, “You said no police moves. I said no tackling. We never reached an agreement.”

“Why are you so happy?”

Releasing her grip, Lexa jumped to her feet and dusted herself off, “Clarke has the next couple of days off. We’re going to pick out a tree tonight.”

Her declaration was met with silence.

Offering a hand to her sister, Lexa smiled shyly, “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Anya nodded. She rubbed at the back of her neck, “Yeah… um… I’m happy for you. Maybe Clarke can show you a real Christmas.”

“I’ll still be here first thing Christmas morning,” Lexa hurried to promise. “Without Clarke if you’d prefer.”

“Don’t be silly! You two have been together for more than half a year now,” Anya waved her off, heading toward the fridge. She paused to take a deep breath when the Hawaiian themed song started playing again. She could almost swear it was louder than the last song.

Moving toward the door, Lexa veered a little to catch her in a hug, “I know you hate Christmas, Scrooge. But Clarke… she loves this time of year and honestly it’s really contagious. I can’t wait for her to see what I’ve picked for her. Or to see what she got me!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Anya rolled her eyes and patted her back, “You’re goo goo for Blondie. I know. Now go and be lame. Make sure you don’t pick a tree that’s too dry!”

****

A week. Just one week. Seven days. That’s all Anya had to survive. Just seven more days of the music she’d grown to loath thumping down on her head. One hundred and sixty-eight more hours.

She thought she’d be fine. She spent as much time as she could at work, taking shifts from the rookies who always had other things they wanted to do. As if they had lives or something.

But every single time she went home… Christmas carols and Christmas songs just came blasting down on her. Every single song Anya had ever heard relating to Christmas, from the classics, like _Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies_ , to the modern, like _All I Want for Christmas_ , all of them. It never stopped. At least not at any point Anya could discern.

The worst was that Hawaiian song. She couldn’t hear the words, or not many of them anyway. Just the music, mostly the ukulele, came drifting down over her. It seemed to be Noisy Neighbor’s favorite because it played at least once every hour, if not more often than that!

****

Turns out she couldn’t make it a week. She couldn’t even make it five days. Then more feet joined the ones she’d become accustomed to. And more muffled voices bellowed and laughed. Anya tried to figure out how many people were up there but they all sort of sounded the same.

When the party died down, Anya finally settled into her bed for a full night of sleep. She had a twenty-hour shift starting at six in the morning. The Christmas Eve into Christmas Day shift was never one to take lightly. She knew she’d need her sleep now because she probably wouldn’t get much on shift.

Just as sleep claimed her, the tune of a ukulele reached her ears. Her eyes popped open, she was instantly awake. She threw back her blankets and sat up, staring at her bedroom door for a minute, trying to decide what to do. The sounding of the chorus made her decision for her.

Pulling her hair into a high ponytail, she marched out of her apartment and up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Following the music, she found herself staring at Apartment 19D.

She allowed herself one deep breath, then another. Forcing herself to calm down. Then she knocked loudly.

The door flew open.

All Anya could see was deep brown eyes staring up at her. And all the words she had wanted to say were gone.

“Hi?” The woman in front of her arched a brow and leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb.

“H-H-Hey,” Anya stuttered.

Waiting for a beat, perhaps thinking Anya would say more, the woman smirked, “Can I help you? Not that I’m complaining about a gorgeous woman dropping by in a tank top and boy shorts, of course.”

Nodding, Anya tried to remember was she was doing. She was supposed to be sleeping. But… brown eyes and full lips and cute little ears… She smiled, almost in a daze.

And then.

Ukulele.

Like a Pavlovian response, Anya’s eyes narrowed and her lips thinned into a scowl. She looked behind the woman, not seeing anyone else in the apartment.

“Excuse me?” The woman spoke again.

“Do you think you could turn it down?”

Blinking up at her, the woman looked confused, “What?”

“The music. Can you please turn it down?” Anya repeated her request as nicely as she could. “I know it’s Christmas time but I’m not really a Christmas person and I hate listening to that music. I don’t do the tree or the decorating. I barely do the family dinner. I hardly even do the gift thing. I’m not trying to ruin your holidays or anything. I just need to sleep and I can’t listen to that ukulele song anymore. So do you think you could – ”

Those full lips Anya had been staring at silenced her. Anya barely tried to hold on to her confusion before she kissed the woman back. Only a moment, yet an eternity, passed before they broke apart.

“Um…” Anya cleared her throat. She reached back to scratch at her neck and smiled shyly, “What was that about?”

“Mistletoe,” The woman pointed up.

Following her finger, Anya spotted the little plant tied to a sting and hanging from the end of a wooden spoon. And the woman holding the spoon…

“Lexa!” Anya growled.

Backing away, Lexa held up her hands, “You’re not wearing any clothing, Anya! Now is not the time to wrestle!”

“What did you do?” Clarke asked, moving to stand next to Lexa.

“I was helping?” Lexa grinned at her, blushing when her girlfriend pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

“Helping?” Anya repeated, still glaring at her sister.

Then her vision was filled with the mystery woman again. She smiled and waved, “Hey there. Remember me?”

“Kiss,” Was all Anya could reply.

“Right,” the woman laughed, “Kiss. Or you can call me Raven.”

“Raven?”

Nodding, the woman held out her hand, “My name is Raven Reyes. I saw you when I first moved in but couldn’t figure out how to talk to you. Luckily, my best friend ended up dating your sister.”

“Lexa,” Anya growled, her eyes narrowing again as she searched for her.

“Love you!” Lexa called from somewhere inside the apartment.

Moving to regain Anya’s attention, Raven chuckled again, “Anyway. Lexa helped me come up with this plan to get your attention. Like a sort of meet cute for us. Only you lasted a whole lot longer than Lexa thought you would.”

“Meet cute?” Anya repeated. Suddenly, she was tired again. “Why?”

“Lexa mentioned you hate Christmas music. I figured you’d come up here to ask me to turn it down. Apparently you’re too polite to do that. Christmas is only a couple of days away now,” Raven explained. She reached out and tugged Anya into her apartment when the creepy old man from across the hall opened his door. “She said you really hate – ”

“The Hawaiian one,” Anya finished for her.

Grinning, Raven nodded, “Finishing my sentences already? Be still my heart!”

Rolling her eyes, Anya asked, “So you wanted to meet me? Why?”

“A date would be nice,” Raven replied easily. “I promise to not make you listen to Christmas music. So… what do you say?”

“I say this is weird,” Anya sighed.

“Weird isn’t always bad,” Raven countered. She batted her eyes and smirked, “What about that date?”

Taking a moment, Anya considered her. She didn’t know Raven at all. But if Lexa had helped her set up that scheme with the music, it meant that Lexa trusted her. And Anya’s social life was nearly dead.

“No Christmas music?” Anya asked. Raven nodded and crossed her heart. “I only have one request then.”

“Sure! Name it!”

Anya leaned forward, smiling down at Raven, “The next time you want to kiss me, don’t wait for my sister to save you with mistletoe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	4. Christmas Party Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa and Clarke were together for years. They were college sweethearts who moved seamlessly together into the adult world together. Then, Clarke goes halfway around the world to do what she does best, save people. She and Lexa try to make it work but crossed wires and frustrations drag the women to their end.
> 
> This is the story of what happens when perfection meets misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Character A and Character B broke up, but now they meet at a Christmas party a couple months later.
> 
>  
> 
> This got a bit angsty. I'm never too confident in my ability to write angst, so good luck to us all!

In all honesty, Lexa wasn’t even sure why she was going to the party. She hated parties. She wasn’t a big fan of Christmas. So why did she think going to Octavia’s party was a good idea?

Oh right.

Lincoln asked her to be there.

Who could say no to her giant teddy bear of a brother?

So she stopped at the liquor store to pick up a bottle of her favorite whisky and a bottle of Octavia’s favorite chocolate wine. She strolled down the street, stretching out the five blocks between her apartment and Lincoln’s house as much as she could. She spent an entire block with her head tilted back, watching the snowflakes descend in their chaotic paths, smiling and forcing herself to not think.

If there was one thing that could ruin her mood for the night, it was thinking. If she started to allow her mind the freedom to roam, she knew where it would go. Straight to blonde hair and beauty marks and husky voices and teasing laughs. No… that wasn’t what Lexa needed to think about.

Instead, she forced herself to think about the biggest development in her life. A sad four-year-old red headed boy named Aden was being taken away from his grandmother and it had been Lexa’s job to ensure he never went back to her. She’d represented him pro bono as a favor to a family friend who happened to be a social worker. Her mind’s eye brought forth the pictures of bruises and cuts on his body. For whatever reason, at the end of the case severing Nia’s rights, Lexa had asked the court to allow her custody. She started the required parenting classes on Monday. She hadn’t even told her family yet, mostly because she knew what they’d say.

Still grinning at the thought of a happy and healthy Aden, Lexa found herself in front of Lincoln and Octavia’s house. It was full of people. Lexa knew the usuals were probably there. Her big sister Anya was probably sitting on the kitchen counter, sipping a beer while her girlfriend, Raven, cooked up some magical food. Octavia and Lincoln were probably helping Jasper and Monty set up the beer pong table they were all too old to play on. Miller and Bryan were off to one side, watching everything happen, not really doing much. Bellamy, Octavia’s older brother, was probably trying to organize everyone but really just causing trouble. Echo would be telling him all about the mistakes he was making. And Cla-

No.

Don’t think.

Picture Aden.

Pulling in a lungful of frigid air, Lexa knocked on the door.

The tall blonde woman who answered was not who she was expecting. The flash of blonde actually had her panicking for a moment before she met brown eyes instead of blue.

“Hello?” Lexa’s brows creased in confusion.

“Hi!” The woman stepped aside and waved Lexa in. “Sorry, I’m Niylah. Everyone else was busy. The angry woman in the kitchen told me to answer the door.”

Offering a small smile, Lexa took of her coat and hat. She let Niylah take the bag from her hands so she could hang up her things. Then she glanced around. Her predictions were all correct. Except she hadn’t thought Maya would still be around. And Harper was there, which was odd because she wasn’t usually a holiday friend, she was more of a crazy night at the bar sort of friend.

“I’m Lexa,” She said, offering a hand.

“Oh,” Niylah smiled and took her hand in a firm grip. “I’ve heard plenty about you.”

Blushing, Lexa looked around again. She spotted Anya in the kitchen doorway and offered up a silent thanks to the universe for the quick save. She pointed at her sister, “I’m just going to go and greet everyone. I’ll see you soon I’m sure.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will!” Niylah called after her.

****

“Took you long enough,” Anya growled as soon as she entered the kitchen.

“I stopped to get our whisky,” Lexa replied smoothly, handing her the bottle. “Who is the new girl?”

“Niylah?” Anya asked.

Nodding, Lexa leaned back against the counter. She watched Raven stir something with a somewhat unsettling grin on her face.

“She’s the new manager of the arts and crafts store next to the shop,” Anya said. She opened the whisky and took a sniff, nodding happily before pouring herself a generous portion. “Raven met her a few weeks ago and thought it’d be nice to invite her since she doesn’t have any friends or family around here.”

Lexa sighed and dropped her eyes to the floor, “I thought she was…”

“I know,” Anya responded before she could muster up the courage to say the name. “I did too.”

“She’s cool, give her a chance,” Raven said, not even looking up from her concoction.

****

Of course Lexa should have known better than to doubt Raven. Niylah was pretty cool. She had very funny stories about growing up in the middle of the woods and working at her parent’s old antique shop. But Lexa had a hard time looking at her. Not that she even closely resembled the person she refused to think about. Her hair though… No one else in their group had blonde hair. Anya’s was the closest but it was never a shade that could be mistaken for the other woman’s.

They all shared holiday stories, most of them already known to the group but new for Maya, Harper, and Niylah. Lexa blushed when a particularly embarrassing story about her and mistletoe was being told. She tried to divert attention away from herself, hating that she could feel her ears burning. She only succeeded when she reminding Anya about Raven’s attempt at surprising her with a vacation the year before. A surprise which nearly landed them both in jail.

As her friends laughed and shared stories, Lexa watched them. Not for the first time, she checked her watch. When she’d agreed to go the party, she promised to stay for two hours. That was all she was willing to sacrifice. The time of year, the house, the people, they all reminded her of a much happier version of herself. She hadn’t been that person in nearly two months. Not since –

“Clarke!” Octavia’s gasp echoed through the house in a way that shouldn’t have been possible.

Turning her head so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash, Lexa stared at the woman standing in the front door. Her hair was out of control, she wasn’t wearing any make up, and her clothes wrinkled. There was a black suitcase just behind her on the porch.

“Hey guys,” Clarke said, her eyes never leaving Lexa’s.

“What are you doing here?” Anya snarled, moving to stand between her little sister and Clarke Griffin, the woman who had nearly broken her.

Shaking her head, Lexa handed her drink off to Raven, “I’m going to go.”

“Lexa,” Lincoln tried to catch her arm as she hurried passed.

Unable to face Clarke, Lexa hurried out the back. She walked as quickly as she could, her arms wrapped around her torso in a vain attempt to keep warm. She made it two blocks before she heard the running footsteps behind her.

“Lex!” Clarke shouted.

“Go away,” Lexa shouted back, trying to urge her freezing legs to move faster.

It didn’t work. Clarke caught her easily. Without a word, Clarke handed Lexa her coat and hat, before staring at her in silence.

“What are you doing here, Clarke?” Lexa asked.

“I promise I will answer any questions you might have, but can we go back please?” Clarke replied softly. “Lincoln said he and Octavia have an announcement for us and they want us both there for it.”

“I can’t,” Lexa shook her head.

Biting her lip, Clarke blinked back tears, “I won’t talk to you until your ready to hear what I have to say. Please come back? Your brother wants you there.”

Weighing her options, Lexa growled. She couldn’t say no to Lincoln. He was always there for her. If he was asking her to put aside her feelings for some reason, it was important.

With a single nod, Lexa hurried back to her brother’s house.

****

An hour later, Lexa was still celebrating with her siblings. She was going to be an aunt. Next Christmas, she was going to have a niece or a nephew to spoil! Aden would have a cousin!

“Are you going to talk to her?” Octavia asked as soon as she found a quiet moment.

“I don’t have anything to say to her,” Lexa replied.

Snorting, Octavia took her glass of whisky and set it on the counter, “You don’t get to play mean drunk tonight. I’m stone-cold sober and I know you’ve had exactly one glass. You’re nearly as sober as I am. Which means you’re planning on talking to Clarke.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Lexa whispered back. She didn’t have to look around to know Clarke was watching her. She knew what it felt like to have those eyes focused on her.

“You were together for five years,” Octavia replied. She clapped a hand on Lexa’s shoulder before giving her a little shove toward Clarke. “She’s staying with us in the guest room. Go be an adult.”

****

“Lex,” Clarke said as soon as the door closed behind her.

“Please don’t call me that,” Lexa responded.

Taking a deep breath, Clarke nodded. She moved toward the desk and pulled out the chair, sinking into it. She opened her suitcase and took out a folder, holding it out for Lexa to take.

“I know you hate me for what happened. I hate me too,” Clarke began. She took a shaky breath and sniffled. “We weren’t meant to end like that. Or at all. But I had to go. I had to try to help!”

Ignoring the folder, Lexa sat on the edge of the bed, “We didn’t break up because you left, Clarke. We broke up because you decided you wanted to help strangers more than you wanted to be with me.”

“That isn’t true!” Clarke gasped.

“It is,” Lexa snapped. “You swore you’d be gone for six months! Six! You were gone for a year! I saw you for a grand total of five weeks during that year. And I hated every second of being apart. Then you call me and tell me you were staying for another six?”

Standing, Clarke moved forward until she was only a couple of feet away. She tossed the folder onto the bed and glared down at Lexa, “I was saving people.”

“You were wrapped up in that hero complex you always swore you didn’t have!”

“Lexa,” Clarke bit out, making sure to stress the ‘a’. “I was helping people escape war and famine and disease. I wasn’t on some vacation. You can’t hate me for that!”

“That’s just it! I don’t hate you, not at all!” Lexa shouted, standing up to face Clarke. “I’m so proud of you for doing what you can but you can’t fix the world all on your own. You know that! You still had to try though, because you’re you. But I was here, waiting for you. I was here, worrying about you. I was here, loving you! And you didn’t want to come home!”

Taking a deep breath, Clarke nodded, “I know! I should have come home. I wanted to. But those people had no one to depend on. And then they asked me to set up the training program and I couldn’t say no! I knew if we gave them the tools, they wouldn’t need us. So I stayed and I helped set up the program.”

“And now you’re here, four months before you’re meant to be,” Lexa pointed out. “Why?”

Clarke knew she needed to give Lexa an answer. She needed to offer a reason. But seeing her, watching her fight back tears and bite back sobs, she couldn’t remember a single line of the speech she’d been practicing.

“I was waiting,” Lexa repeated. “We were waiting.”

Grabbing the folder off the bed, Clarke opened it and thrust it at Lexa, “He knew I was coming back, Lex. He knew I’d be home as soon as I could!”

Looking at the papers, Lexa found several dozen letters and pictures from Aden to Clarke. The pictures featured the three of them in front of a house. There was Lexa and Clarke and Aden and what was either a dog or a large cat.

“I told you I was all in,” Clarke sniffled. “Why didn’t you believe me?”

“I thought you changed your mind,” Lexa replied as she looked through the pictures. “I thought you decided you didn’t want to be a mom when you could be this amazing world-traveling doctor.”

Shaking her head, Clarke pulled the papers away and placed the folder on the desk. She bit the inside of her cheek and considered Lexa carefully.

“I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I stayed away,” she finally said.

“I know you’re sorry,” Lexa wiped at the tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

“I’m still all in, Lex,” Clarke whispered, stepping closer to her. She kept moving until she was just on the edge of her space. “If you want me, if you love me, I’m still yours.”

A sob broke free, causing Lexa to clamp a hand over her mouth. She shivered when Clarke’s arms wrapped around her, holding her together. She’d dreamed of Clarke coming home and telling her she hadn’t stayed away because she’d fallen out of love with her. She’d dreamed of Clarke swearing she was still hers.

“What do we do?” Clarke asked, her lips pressed to Lexa’s pulse point.

“You’re not going back?” Lexa questioned. At Clarke’s shaking head, Lexa pulled back enough to cup her face, “you’re staying here?”

“You asked why I came back early. I couldn’t miss Christmas with you, Lex. I couldn’t miss watching you smile at Aden’s excitement. I couldn’t miss you scolding me for going over our price limit. I couldn’t stand missing you anymore!” Clarke said, her voice filled with passion and earnestness. She turned her head to kiss Lexa’s palm, “I’m yours. And I hope I can still be Aden’s mom. I didn’t mean to be gone for so long.”

“You were helping, it’s your thing. It is one of the many reasons I love you,” Lexa replied softly. “And if you’re really here to stay, I want you to come home. I want you and our life back.”

“You’re sure?” Clarke asked.

“Haven’t you been gone long enough?” Lexa quirked a brow.

Smiling, they met for a sweet kiss. Their first kiss in months. Soft brushes of lips and caresses gave way to harder kisses and roaming hands. Only a loud series of knocks on the door separated them.

“What?” Lexa called out, fighting to control her breathing.

“We didn’t hear any yelling for a while,” Raven yelled back, “Wanted to make sure you aren’t killing each other.”

Laughing, Clarke ran her hands through Lexa’s hair, “We’re fine, Raven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	5. Serendipitous Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke is chief resident at Polis General. She thrives on doing what she does best, saving lives. Holidays are her favorite because she never really knows what, or who, will come through the ER doors. On Christmas Eve, in the early afternoon, the hospital is notified of 2 police officers being shot.
> 
> Clarke has no way of knowing what one of those officers will end up meaning to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Clarke and Lexa meet in the ER on Christmas Eve
> 
>  
> 
> TW: Yes, there are shootings in this. No violence is described. The wounds are barely described either. Just know that it happens. If it's a trigger for you, don't force yourself to read this. It isn't graphic or anything but triggers don't really have to be.
> 
>  
> 
> AN: There will be another one-shot posted today! Sometime in the late morning/early afternoon! I need to get back on track for the days!

_**Christmas Eve, 3pm** _

It was a secret to no one that holidays in the ER were crazy. Holidays, full moons, and Friday the Thirteenths were always a guarantee for insane shifts. Most doctors loathed those days.

Clarke Griffin thrived on them.

She was the daughter of an award-winning and pioneering surgeon. Abby Griffin herself had gone from intern to resident to attending at Polis General. It wasn’t a surprise when Clarke earned herself a spot in the elite program.

Working most holidays and usually maxing out her 80-hour workweek, Clarke had no time for a social life. Well, not one that went beyond her lifelong best friends, Raven and Octavia, anyway. She’d even asked them to move in with her when she bought her house. It was too big for her alone but she’d always loved that big grey house growing up, so when it came on the market, and need of some fixing up, she snapped it up. It only seemed right to have her friends move in with her.

Now she was lucky if she saw her house and her friends for more than a few hours a week. Never mind the crazy hours that Raven worked as a mechanical engineer and Octavia logged as a police officer. She’d promised them she’d cut back her hours after the first of the year.

Christmas Eve though, she found herself at the table in the doctors’ lounge filling out paperwork before she was able to get home. Newly appointed as chief resident, Clarke had more than her fair share of work and she loved it. Just as she dotted the last ‘i’ her pager buzzed on her hip.

Grabbing her folders, she handed them off to one of the nurses, Niylah, and took off at a sprint to the ambulance bay.

“What do we have?” She asked.

Lincoln, another resident, helped her tie off her gown before answering, “A couple of cops were shot. From the 1-3.”

Freezing, Clarke glanced back at him, “Who?”

“I don’t know,” He replied, his jaw clenching tightly.

That was Octavia’s precinct. And she was on shift. Having introduced Lincoln to her friend over a year ago, and watching them fall in love, Clarke knew he was worried about his girlfriend. She was worried too. Before she could offer any words of comfort, an ambulance screeched to a stop in front of them.

The back doors flew open, stats and vitals and care already given was being shouted. Clarke took it all in as she pulled in a steadying breath.

The woman on the stretcher wasn’t Octavia.

“You take this one,” Clarke ordered Lincoln.

He nodded and started to roll with the EMTs. Then he froze, “Clarke, someone else needs to take this one.”

“No,” Clarke shook her head, “she’s yours.”

“She’s my kid sister,” Lincoln said quietly, he bent over and put his hands on his knees as he fought off a wave of nausea.

Barking out more orders, Clarke made sure the most competent resident left was with the woman she now knew was Lexa Woods. She also told a nurse to call Chief Griffin in to help. Then she asked another nurse to take Lincoln to the lounge to wait for her.

Seconds later, the other ambulance arrived. As soon as the doors opened, Clarke realized her friend had been shot after all

“GSW to the –,” the EMT started to speak.

“I’m fine,” Octavia snapped, struggling against the restraints. “It was just a graze. Making a big deal out of nothing.”

The EMT smiled down at her and shrugged, “You’re bleeding. Protocol says you have to be seen by a doc.”

“That’s a lie,” Octavia argued. She rolled her eyes and tried to sit up, “A few stitches and I’ll be right as rain.”

“Wheel her in boys,” Clarke instructed, breathing a sigh of relief in the knowledge her friend was okay. “I’ll find someone to patch her up.”

“Clarke!” Octavia reached her hand out for her friend, “You have to find Linc! Lexa was shot! It looked… like not a graze.”

All she could do was nod. Octavia looked okay, like she really had just been grazed but there was blood everywhere and adrenaline was a powerful pain blocker. She had retrieved Lincoln from the lounge to patch up his girlfriend once Clarke was sure her wound was actually as superficial as it looked. Then she hurried to Trauma 2 where Lexa Woods, a woman she’d never met but heard so much about, was being treated.

“How’s it going?” She asked as soon as she entered. She pulled on a new gown and gloves, pausing in her movements to let Niylah tie on a mask for her.

“GSW to the chest,” Abby replied methodically. “There’s a bleeder that I’m trying to find.”

Swiftly moving to the take a closer look at the field, Clarke called for more suction. She glanced up at Lexa’s face, noting she was unconscious. With a nod from her mother, she plunged her finger into the wound, feeling around, trying to locate the source of the bleed.

“Got it!” She exclaimed.

****

The calm that Lincoln brought to whatever place he was in was never something to be taken for granted. There was something about the man that just helped other people relax, like they knew as long as Linc was around, they’d be okay. Lexa’s hospital room was no different.

He had Octavia, and her newly stitched and bandaged arm, tucked into his side and his little brother, Aden, hugging him as tightly as a 13-year-old could hug. Lincoln’s calmness even seemed to have a positive affect on his older sister Anya. She’d been pacing since she’d arrived but as soon as Lincoln and Octavia appeared, she settled for leaning against the wall and bouncing her knee.

“She’s going to be fine,” Lincoln whispered in to Aden’s hair again. He moved his hand in small circles on the boy’s back, “I told you Clarke and Dr. Griffin are the best. Lexa will be good as new in no time.”

“She’s too stubborn to be down for long,” Octavia added.

Aden nodded as he pulled away, “She just got home though. How did she go 10 years in the Army without getting shot but she’s here for a week and it happens?”

“Such a drama queen,” Anya muttered. She shook her head and opened her arms for Aden when his tears started again. “She was probably trying to be a hero. She never did want anyone else risking their necks if she could do it herself.”

“She said she’d be careful!” Aden whimpered and gripped the back of Anya’s jacket in his fists.

Someone clearing their throat had the four conscious people in the room turning to the door. Shifting from one foot to the other, Clarke gave them a little wave.

“How’s the patient doing?” She asked.

“She sedated,” Lincoln answered. He motioned toward Lexa’s chart in Clarke’s hand. “Any chance you’ll let me see that?”

Entering the room with a laugh, Clarke shook her head, “You know I can’t do that.”

“Lexa will be okay though?” Aden asked, his head resting on Anya’s shoulder.

“She should be just fine. She was lucky though. Nothing major was hit, just a big blood vessel. She didn’t even break a rib,” Clarke explained while she checked all of the wires and tubes connected to Lexa. She turned to face Aden and smiled gently, “She’s only sleeping now because we have her sedated. We’ll be bringing her out of it soon.”

Anya let out a sigh of relief, then she glared at her baby sister, “I’m going to kill her.”

Laughing, Octavia leaned around Lincoln’s chest to meet Anya’s eye, “I’m not sure you should make that threat in front of witnesses.”

****

As much as Clarke hated to do it, she had to kick everyone out after visiting hours ended. She wanted to let at least one stay but Abby insisted they leave. The night was only going to get crazier. She knew from experience they were going to be getting all kinds of crazy injuries throughout the night.

So Clarke promised over and over again to make Lexa’s room her base of operations for the night. Anytime she wasn’t needed elsewhere, she’d be with Lexa. Thankfully, she’d been given one of the nicer private rooms, which included a comfortable couch for Clarke to sleep on.

And Abby was right. The night was crazy. Clarke was only able to catch a few minutes of sleep here and there. She spent most of the night reading charts and writing reports while sitting next to a sleeping Lexa.

Then, at 5:13 in the morning, Lexa’s eyes opened. She hissed at the pain radiating from her side. When she tried to move her hand to check for injury, she found a pulse-ox reader attached to her finger. She tried to lift her other hand to pull at the tube in her nose, only to find it pinned to the bed by a mess of blonde hair.

“Ex-Ex- ” Lexa tried to speak but her mouth was dry as a bone in the desert. She tried to clear her throat but it didn’t help. So she tried again, “Ex-”

The blonde hair flew upwards that time, nearly falling off the chair she’d been sitting on. The woman, or doctor Lexa would guess based on the coat, looked slightly more than slightly confused for a moment. Then the doctor’s eyes met hers.

“Water?” Lexa asked, swallowing harshly against the scratchy feeling in her throat.

“Right! Of course!” The doctor surged to her feet, then fell to the floor.

Lexa leaned as far over in the bed as she could, trying to see what had happened. She could hear the doctor muttering to herself. A few second later, she stood up and limped toward the tray holding a big cup of water.

“Okay?” Lexa rasped.

“Yeah,” the doctor nodded, blushing a little. “Guess I’m just falling for you.”

Her joke was met with silence. All Lexa could do was blink up at her. The doctor thrust the water toward her with one hand while slapping her other hand against her forehead.

“I’m sorry, that was so inappropriate!”

Taking a long drink of water, Lexa considered the woman in front of her. Messy blonde hair aside, she looked like exactly the kind of woman Lexa would want falling for her. So she shrugged as best she could.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” Lexa said, her voice hardly louder than a whisper.

“It’s still inappropriate,” she shook her head. Then she smoothed her hand over her head, groaning at the mess she felt. Making quick work of pulling it all back into place and fixing a messy bun to the back of her head, the doctor held out her hand, “I’m Clarke Griffin by the way. I work with your brother.”

Taking the hand as best she could, Lexa shook it, “The girlfriend’s roommate?”

“That’s me,” Clarke replied with a nod.

“Linc and Octavia have been telling me I need to meet you,” Lexa said.

Blushing, Clarke pulled her hand back, “Oh? Why is that?”

“They never said,” Lexa replied. Then her eyes roamed over Clarke’s body again, slowly, before looking back up into her eyes, “I have several pretty sound theories though.”

“Are you always like this?” Clarke questioned.

“Like what?”

Waving her hands in her air, like she’d be able to literally find the answers there, Clarke responded, “Flirty? Forward? I don’t know. You were just shot. You know that right?”

“I do, yes,” Lexa shifted uncomfortably in the bed. “Am I gonna make it, Doc?”

“Of course,” Clarke replied, biting back a laugh. “It was a miracle you aren’t worse off. Mom says you must have a guardian angel watching over you.”

“Or maybe I was just waiting to meet an angel,” Lexa said smoothly, winking up at her.

Shaking her head, Clarke grabbed the charts from the tray where she’d left them and started to back out of the room. She smiled one last time at Lexa, “You’re going to be all kinds of trouble, Lexa Woods.”

“Sometimes,” Lexa drew out the word. Then she winked again. “Trouble is exactly what some people need.”

****

Lexa was in the hospital for a few days before being released. No matter how much Clarke tried to fight it, she found herself pulled back to Lexa’s room whenever she had a few free minutes. Usually one of Lexa’s siblings was there so Clarke would make sure to keep everything professional, checking equipment and charts, never making eye contact with Lexa because she knew she’d blush.

At night though, when Abby kicked everyone out, Clarke would rest in Lexa’s room. Sometimes Lexa would wait up for her, mostly she’d sleep. Everyday though, Clarke seemed to be in Lexa’s room when she woke up. And everyday, Lexa would be groggy and then flirty. Thankfully, Clarke hadn’t fallen out her chair again.

She knew it was a bad idea to get attached. Not only was she one of the doctors that helped save Lexa from bleeding to death, but she worked with Lincoln. It was all around a bad idea.

So Lexa’s last night in the hospital, Clarke stayed away. She fought with the pull that drew her to Lexa’s door. She refused to go inside. Even when it grew late and she could hear the TV on, Lexa’s attempt to stay awake to see her, she wouldn’t go in. The next morning, she saw Lexa briefly while Abby gave her discharge papers and told Anya all about making sure Lexa relaxed.

That was the last Clarke ever really thought she’d see of Lexa.

****

New Years Eve was the only holiday Clarke ever insisted on having off. She happily worked every other holiday. But New Years Eve was the one she and Raven and Octavia spent together. So she worked extra hours and switched shifts, whatever she had to do to make sure she was off.

Her house had become the go-to house for the party every year. There were two guest rooms and three couches for people to crash on.

On her way home from the hospital on the 31st, Clarke stopped to pick up the food for the party. Raven and Octavia would take care of decorating and alcohol while she slept for a while. Even the six hours of sleep wasn’t enough for Clarke to feel energized though. Only Raven’s brilliant idea of waving coffee in her face had Clarke voluntarily getting out of bed at 3 in the afternoon to help cook.

She whipped up her famous hot wings and homemade pizza in no time, sipping on the whisky Octavia had bought specifically for her. She danced while she baked chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate cake. She was feeling pretty good by the time Lincoln arrived around 6. And he wasn’t alone.

“Lexa?” She gasped when her eyes met green.

“She says with a tone a surprise even though she knows my brother is dating her roommate,” Lexa quipped, taking one of the carrots Raven had set out and biting into it.

Looking around, Clarke glared at Lincoln, “you were shot a week ago! You shouldn’t be up and moving! And at a party!”

“I’m a quick healer,” Lexa shrugged. “I had Dr. Griffin, the other Dr. Griffin, check me out this morning. She said I’m fine. Only another week or so until I’m cleared for duty.”

“You were shot!” Clarke shouted. She grabbed Lexa’s hand and pulled her to her bedroom. She closed the door and then froze.

Grinning, Lexa winked at her, “is this your room?”

“You shouldn’t be in here,” Clarke shook her head and moved to open the door.

“I think I’m exactly where I ought to be,” Lexa cut her off. She gripped Clarke’s shoulders and spun them around so Clarke’s back was against the door. She braced her hands on either side of Clarke’s head and leaned in. “I like you.”

“You don’t know me.”

Smiling, Lexa nodded. That was true she didn’t. She shrugged, “I want to get to know you. And I talked to your mom. She said everything was fine. No legal issues for you. You weren’t technically my doctor, she was. So… what’s the problem?”

“You did what?” Clarke’s eyes narrowed.

“I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t get in trouble if I asked you out,” Lexa replied, leaning back a little. “Your mom thought it was cute. I blushed a lot.”

Sighing, Clarke rolled her eyes, “No wonder she was being so weird this morning!”

“So? What do you say?”

“To what?”

Laughing, Lexa leaned in again, “I want to take you on a date. Will you go on a date with me?”

Considering the woman before her, Clarke pretended like she had to think about it. It was almost a miracle that she didn’t shout her agreement right away. But Lexa… she didn’t need the confidence boost.

“Can I kiss you at midnight?” Clarke whispered, her eyes falling to Lexa’s pouty lips.

“Wha – ” Lexa croaked. She cleared her throat, “What?”

Smirking, Clarke repeated her question, this time making her voice just a tad bit more husky, “Will you be my midnight kiss?”

Lexa nodded emphatically, “yes. Yes please!”

****

**_One Year Later_ **

To say that Clarke Griffin was unimpressed with having to work the Christmas Eve shift was putting it mildly. It was her first Christmas with Lexa. And yes, she knew she’d be seeing her sexy girlfriend nearly first thing in the morning but still… She wanted to wake up with her on Christmas morning.

Most of her shift passed without incident. Some people came in with cuts from cutting turkeys a little too enthusiastically, one came in with a crazy wound from a chain saw, and another half dozen had fallen off ladders while putting up lights. Those were just the highlights. It was enough to keep Clarke busy and distracted.

Then, just before 3 in the afternoon, Clarke’s pager went off while she was doing paperwork in the lounge. Déjà vu. She handed off her papers to Niylah and ran for the ambulance bay.

Before she could ask for information, she heard someone whisper something about cops and then the word ‘shot’ echoed through the empty bay. Clarke froze. Not again. She shook her head and got herself ready. All she could do was hope she’d heard wrong. She couldn’t allow herself to jump to conclusions.

The ambulance rolled up, doors flew open, and instinct kicked in. She allowed herself a second to look at the patient.

It wasn’t Lexa. It wasn’t Octavia. She barked out her orders, Lincoln immediately moving to take over care of the man, and waited for the next ambulance.

The next ambulance came in. Another man, a police officer this time, holding a pile of gauze to his head.

“Hey,” He grinned at her. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, Nyko, just trying to make sure my girlfriend is okay,” Clarke muttered. “Go with Jackson. He’ll get you fixed up.”

Nyko nodded and rolled off his gurney. He waved away the EMTs when they tried to pull him back, “I’m fine. Go away.” Then he winked at Clarke, “Am I going to have another scar to show off to the ladies?”

“Only if we’re lucky,” Clarke laughed.

Just as he disappeared inside, the third and final ambulance came in. The same order of events occurred. The doors flew open, stats and vitals were shared, the victim was bleeding on the gurney.

“Lex!” Clarke gasped, climbing into the rig.

“Hey, Babe,” Lexa smiled up at her sheepishly.

Searching blue eyes took in the body on the bed, trying to spot the wound. She gasped when she saw blood on Lexa’s shirt. Carefully pulling back the blanket draped over Lexa’s lithe form, Clarke gasped when she saw the dark blood on her shoulder.

“What happened?” Clarke asked.

Before Lexa could answer, the EMTs were rolling her inside, Clarke clutching her hand. Abby came down to assess the wound herself, clicking her tongue and muttering about Lexa needing to be more careful.

Hours later, Lexa was walking out of the hospital with Clarke’s fingers laced through hers. She smiled at her girlfriend, “It’s sort of our anniversary.”

“I don’t want to celebrate you getting shot,” Clarke replied, rolling her eyes.

“But that’s how we met!”

Biting back a laugh, Clarke pulled her to a stop, “We would have met anyway. Octavia would have made sure of it.”

“So no celebrating tonight?” Lexa asked. Her arm, the one not in a sling, snaked around Clarke’s waist, her hand splaying on the small of her back. “Your mom did give you the rest of the day off.”

“To make sure you didn’t do anything stupid,” Clarke replied, giving her a quick kiss.

Smiling brightly, Lexa shook her head. She caught Clarke’s mouth in a kiss that nearly had Clarke’s toes curling. When she pulled away, Clarke chased her moth with a moan of protest. Her hands gripping the lapels of her jacket.

“I think it was more because she knew I have plans for you,” Lexa whispered, kissing her once again before glancing around. They were in the ambulance bay. She smiled and said, “I know I never mentioned this, but I saw you here that day. I actually thought you were an angel. That I’d died and you were there to save my soul.”

“I’d rather not think about you dying,” Clarke responded quickly, shaking her head.

Unable to stop herself, Lexa kissed her again. And again, lips moving perfectly in sync, tongues meeting and stroking and playing lightly. She kissed Clarke until she knew her girlfriend was on the edge of falling into a daze.

“What I meant to say was that I saw you and I knew I needed to know you. You were meant to be mine from the moment my eyes met yours,” Lexa clarified. She looked around and nodded, “Yeah, this is an anniversary for us. I know you don’t like the reminder but for me it isn’t about the pain or the blood or any of that. It’s about meeting you. And while I hadn’t planned on getting shot again this year, I guess it’s a little serendipitous.”

Throwing back her head, Clarke laughed. She moved her arms down to Lexa’s waist, pulling her closer. She kissed at Lexa’s grin, and kept kissing until their smiles made it impossible to kiss anymore, “I love you.”

“I want to marry you,” Lexa said plainly. She watched Clarke’s eyes grow round. They’d talked about the idea of marriage someday. But… that statement didn’t sound like someday. So Lexa cleared her throat and tried again, “What I mean is, will you marry me?”

“You’re asking me now?” Clarke arched a brow and chuckled. “Here?”

“Here and now,” Lexa nodded. “Will you marry me? I’ve got your ring in my pocket, all you have to do is say yes and I’ll put it on your finger.”

Years in the future, Clarke would swear she’d never smiled so brightly. She nodded and laughed and kissed her girlfriend – no, she kissed her fiancée with all the passion she had in her body and soul. She held Lexa as tightly as she could, trying to avoid putting pressure on her shoulder.

“Is that a yes?” Lexa asked, her breath coming out in pants.

“Of course it’s a yes!” Clarke replied.

Digging into her pocket, Lexa pulled out a beautiful diamond ring. The princess cut stone was set into the band, the recessed setting perfect for Clarke’s job. Lexa kissed Clarke one more time before sliding the ring onto her hand, “This is yours then. I love you.”

After another series of mind melting kisses, Clarke laughed and pulled a small box out of her bag, “I’ve been carrying this around for a month. I couldn’t think of the perfect way to ask. You beat me to it. But… will you marry me too, Lexa?”

“Yes!” Lexa replied, kissing Clarke before holding out her hand for Clarke to slide the ring into place.

“I just have one request,” Clarke whispered, her forehead pressed against Lexa’s.

Lexa nodded, “Name it.”

“No more getting shot. I’ll kill you myself next time!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: There will be another one-shot posted today! Sometime in the late morning/early afternoon! I need to get back on track for the days!


	6. Christmas Isn't Her Favorite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven never really liked Christmas. She didn't hate it exactly, it just... it wasn't her favorite.
> 
> This year, her girlfriend wants to help change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: I want a Ranya fic where Anya does a surprise proposal on Xmas day after they weren't supposed to be spending it together for whatever reason, you choose. Think you can do that for me? (@wolfjillyjill)
> 
>  
> 
> TW: There's talk of an alcoholic parent in this one. Again, nothing graphic but just be warned!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Told you there'd be a second one today!! I'm back on track!!

Growing up with an alcoholic mother and a nonexistent father hadn’t had much of an impact on Raven Reyes. Mostly because she met her best friend at a young age. She was in second grade when she met Clarke Griffin, a first grader who shared her peanut butter and jelly sandwich with her. Soon after, she was sharing even more.

Somehow Raven ended up spending more time at the Griffin house than she did at her own. She was there so often, Abby and Jake, Clarke’s parents, even set up a room just for her. When she was in junior high, they gave her a set of keys, insisting she come home whenever she wanted to. Completely unbeknownst to Raven, they even set up a college fund for her. She never touched it, she earned a full ride instead, so they turned it into a trust fund instead.

There was one time of year the Griffins couldn’t be her safe haven though. Christmas. Every single year for as far back as she could remember, her mother would somehow realize the holidays were coming up and straighten up her act. She’d go through the battle of withdrawal. She’d pour out all the liquor in the house, something Raven hated because as soon as New Years hit, she’d want that vodka more than she wanted to stay sober for Raven. In her teen years, her mother’s anger was bad enough that Raven started hiding liquor bottles wherever she could think of, just so she’d have something to offer her mother when she was ready for her next bender.

It was no wonder then that Raven wasn’t quite so sure what the big deal about Christmas was. The holiday always meant fake smiles and her mother lovingly calling her ‘mija’ again. It meant visits from her grandparents who pretended like they didn’t know exactly who their daughter was and how she treated Raven.

The only salvation Rave ever found was the Griffins. When she was 14, Abby made a surprise visit to the Reyes household on Christmas Eve. She sent Raven to her room with a kiss to her forehead and wink. From that year on, Raven spent Christmas Eve and the early part of Christmas morning with her family before practically running out the door at 10 AM to meet the Griffins. They’d head over to Jake’s parents house for the rest of day.

Over their 20-year friendship, Clarke had given Raven many thoughtful gifts for her birthday and Christmas. There were paintings and telescopes and parts for her beloved café racer. Things no one else would consider giving her, like the antique atlas from the 1800s or the ‘Tea of the Month’ she’d been getting for the last six years.

But the greatest gift Clarke ever gave to Raven was one she absolutely refused to take credit for. The Christmas just after Raven’s 21st birthday was one she’d never forget. She’d once again ignored her mother’s pleas for one more chance, like she did every year, opting instead to spend her time off school at home with the Griffins. The morning of Christmas Eve, Clarke bounced into her room, announcing her new girlfriend, Lexa, was going to meet them at the diner for breakfast. And, if Raven could behave herself, she’d be going to Papa and Nan’s house too.

The only thing Clarke had forgotten to mention was Lexa’s older sister. It took all of Raven’s self-confidence reserves to not stumble over her own two feet when she saw Anya Woods for the first time. While Raven was a genius, her vocabulary disappeared from her brain and for nearly 10 minutes all she could think was ‘so pretty!’ over and over again. She took her time observing the cool older woman. Not that the four years between them was a big deal to her, but Anya always pointed it when they were teasing each other in their early stages.

She took in the high cheekbones, the gorgeous tawny eyes, the dirty blonde hair pulled back in strands to a knot in the back of her head, the tattoo that just barely peeked out of the bottom of her sleeve. Raven very much liked what she saw and after those nearly silent 10 minutes, she made it her business to make sure Anya knew.

They’d moved a lot faster than Raven had thought they would. She’d always been rather chill with her relationships, never moving very faster. But with Anya… it was like she couldn’t help herself. They moved into together with Lexa and Clarke for Raven’s last year of school less than a year after meeting. They leased their own place the next year, just a couple floors up from Clarke and Lexa. And just a few months ago, they’d bought their first home together. Nothing too fancy, a small three-bedroom house just down the street from the Griffin’s home.

At first, it was hard for Anya to understand Raven’s indifference to Christmas. Their first year together, Anya had gone all out with the decorations and the gifts and the dinner. Raven had helped and done what she could, her gifts were thoughtful and sweet, her homemade rolls were to die for, just like Nan had taught her. But Anya could see her enthusiasm was a little forced. So every year after, she scaled back a little more.

Now, Raven stared out the front window of their house and sighed. Anya was working over the holidays. She was across the country in California at some sort of training conference with her fellow detectives.

Though she’d have a hard time admitting it to anyone else, Raven missed Anya’s subtle attempts to bring her the Christmas Spirit. There were no lights on the outside of their house, though the little wraparound porch was just begging for them. There were no sprigs of mistletoe hung everywhere around the house, like Anya needed an excuse to kiss her every few minutes. The tree was there, like always. They’d decorated it together just after Thanksgiving.

It was Christmas Eve though, and Raven wanted her girlfriend home, pestering her with Christmas songs and bumping her hip trying to get her to dance. She wanted Anya and her smile and her goofiness. It was the closest Raven ever really got to loving Christmas. She loved the way Anya loved the holiday.

Finishing her the glass of water in her hand, Raven nodded to herself. She’d pack a bag and go stay with Abby and Jake. Clarke and Lexa would be there. The house would be decorated to the fullest and smelling like cookies. They’d stay up late and watch movies, maybe even cracking open some bottle of whisky Jake had been saving for ‘just the right occasion’, and she’d text Anya as soon as she was finished with her meetings for the day.

****

“It only took you two days,” Abby complained as soon as Raven entered the house.

“I was wallowing,” Raven replied, kissing Abby’s cheek before moving past her.

Humming in response, Abby rubbed her back and walked her to the kitchen. Clarke and Lexa were there, frosting cookies and laughing about something. Raven plopped into the chair to Clarke’s right and grabbed a knife to help.

“Hey! You’re finally here!” Clarke grinned and handed her a cookie.

“Finally!” Lexa added. She blew a kiss to Raven when she rolled her eyes. Then she leaned in to kiss Clarke before saying, “now that your sister is here, I’m going to go to the store to get that stuff Abby mentioned she needed.”

Clarke nodded, “Trying to impress my parents?”

“Well since they’ll be my in-laws in six months, I might as well get on their good side right?”

Raven offered her a high five as she walked by. Then she took in the table. There were dozens of cookies left to be frosted.

“She’s leaving so she doesn’t have to help with this isn’t she?” She asked Clarke.

Shrugging, Clarke picked out another one, “probably. She hates frosting the cookies. She thinks it ruins the appeal of eating them. And don’t complain, you knew we’d be doing this right now. Movies don’t start for another two hours.”

“Girls!” Abby called over her shoulder from the stove, “hurry it up. Dinner is going to be ready soon!”

“Don’t know why you’re telling them to hurry, we all know we’ll be eating in the living room,” Jake said as he walked into the room. He paused briefly to kiss Abby’s forehead before settling into the chair across from Raven, “I already have the trays set up.”

Abby’s sigh had the other three giggling. The four of them worked diligently to finish the cookies before dinner. That didn’t happen. So they ate quickly before finishing the cookies and setting up for their movie night.

“What did Lexa go to get?” Raven asked as she and Clarke wiggled underneath their shared blanket, trying to achieve maximum comfort. “She’s been gone for hours.”

“Know Lextra as well as I do,” Clarke muttered, rolling her eyes at how mushy her fiancée could be, “she’s probably three counties over trying to find exactly the brand of green beans Mom wants for her casserole.”

Shoving Clarke’s head gently, Abby replied, “Your girl wants me to like her. That’s not a bad thing!”

“You love Lexa and she knows it!” Clarke replied, dodging another swat from her mother.

****

Two short Christmas movies later, Raven stretched and sighed. She’d thought she’d have heard from Anya by now, but the three-hour time difference meant it was just going on 5 o’clock in California. So she made sure her phone was charged and the volume turned up, something Clarke argued against because… movie night.

“I want to watch _Elf_ ,” Jake announced. He glanced at Abby, “Do we have that one?”

“No,” Abby replied, sipping her whisky with a small grin. Tipsy Abby always grinned.

Raven smiled at the tradition. Jake announced he wanted to watch _Elf_ every year. So every year they had to find a video store to rent it from. It was a march through the city where they all complained about the cold and demanded to know why none of them had bothered to buy the movie already. This year, she came prepared.

“I bought it,” she announced. She stood and stretched again, “I’ll go grab it from my bag.”

Only it wasn’t in the bag she’d dropped in her room. Raven could have sworn she packed it. She knew Jake was going to want to watch it so she’d made sure to grab it. Or maybe she thought she’d grabbed it. Shrugging to herself, she headed back to the living room.

“I must have forgotten it,” She said as she moved to take her coat out of the closet. “I’ll just run to the house and grab it really quick.”

“I’ll go with you,” Clarke offered.

Shaking her head, Raven motioned for her to sit back down, “I’ll be right back. No reason for both of us to be cold.”

“No reason for you to be cold on your own,” Clarke countered, bumping her out of the way with her hips so she could grab her own coat.

****

To be fair, Raven should have known something was up. She was a very intelligent woman. But Clarke was chattering so happily and was so good at distracting her, Raven hadn’t noticed anything off. Not until they were nearly in front of the house anyway.

“What the…” Raven whispered. She stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring at her home.

There were lights everywhere. Big lights, little lights, still lights, cascading lights, dancing lights, all the lights Raven had ever seen, they were all there. Off to the right was a huge inflatable Santa Klaus. Off to the left, an equally huge Grinch inside a chimney.

She took it all in, trying to wrap her normally quickly moving brain around it. But… it didn’t make sense. She’d left the house dark, with the tree in the front window unlit. Now it was the best decorated house on the block, maybe even the city.

Just as she was about to turn to Clarke, to ask what was happening, she heard it. _All I Want For Christmas Is You_ by Michael Bublé started playing from a speaker somewhere in the yard. And the lights… the lights were all dancing to it. The song was the first one she’d danced to Anya that very first Christmas season they spent together. Anya whispered the words in her ear while they swayed from side to side in the living room of that first little apartment they’d shared with their sisters.

“Clarke?” She whispered, turning to see her best friend and honorary sister smiling at her, her phone held up in front of her. “What’s going on?”

“No idea. I thought you hated Christmas?” Clarke replied cheekily. When Raven only blinked back at her, Clarke jerked her head toward the house.

Taking that for a very unsubtle hint, Raven moved up the front walk. The door was unlocked, the song playing inside too, just not as loudly. She opened the door and gasped. There were more lights inside, and candles lit here and there. There were sprigs of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling, it was laid out in a grid-like pattern, no more than a foot between each little plant.

Her hands covered her mouth as she stepped inside. She’d thought she’d fallen asleep at movie night and was dreaming all of this. The shove she received from Clarke, the one that had her stumbling into the house, had her thinking otherwise.

“It’s cold out here,” Clarke whined, nudging her again. “Move!”

“What is happening?” Raven whispered.

“Get in the house and maybe we’ll figure it out!” Clarke replied, trying to squeeze in between Raven and the doorjamb.

Stepping fully inside, and letting Clarke in too, Raven closed the door. As soon as it clicked, it was like Raven had hit a switch. The lights all dimmed, thought they still danced to the song that had started to softly play again. Then…

Anya.

“What?” Raven questioned. “How?”

“I’ve been hiding at Lexa and Clarke’s place since last night,” Anya replied. She winked at Raven before moving to stand in front of her. She cupped Raven’s face in her hands, holding her gently as she leaned down for a soft kiss.

Taking her by the hands, Anya backed up until she was in the middle to their living room. The furniture had all been pushed aside, leaving a large open area. Anya pulled Raven into her arms, swaying to the music and whispering the words in Raven’s ear.

When the song started over for the third time, Raven leaned back in Anya’s arms, “What is going on?”

Anya never stopped swaying as she spoke, “I know Christmas isn’t your favorite holiday. I know you only deal with the music and the lights and all of that because you know I love it. But I want you to love it too. I know it could take years. I know we could be in our nineties before you admit you even so much as like this holiday. But I want to help you learn to love it. Every year, you’re all I really want for Christmas, Raves.”

“I don’t hate Christmas,” she replied, laughing. She leaned up, kissing her girlfriend.

“But you don’t love it. And I don’t want you to be miserable every year because I want to decorate the house to the nines,” Anya responded. She stopped swaying then and took a step back. She winked at Raven before dropping to one knee, “What I’m saying, Raven Reyes, is I want to spend the rest of my life with you, even if you’re a bit of a Grinch. I want to love you every single day from now until I’m gone from this world. And beyond that too. I want to listen to you grumble when I play the same twenty songs over and over again because their my favorite holiday songs. I want to be woken up by our children too early on Christmas morning and hear you laugh because you can’t wait to see their little faces when they open their gifts. So, I’m asking, even though I know you don’t particularly like this holiday, if you’ll agree to be my favorite Christmas present ever? Will you marry me?”

All Raven could do was nod. She couldn’t form words. Once again, Anya Woods had stolen her entire vocabulary. So she nodded and caught Anya’s face in her hands, leaning down to catch her mouth in a kiss. One she hoped answered her question.

“That’s a yes?” Anya asked as she stood.

Nodding again, Raven pulled her in for a hug.

“Did you even look at the ring?” Anya laughed, spinning her around their living room, planting short kisses on her face.

“Don’t need to,” Raven replied. She held tightly to Anya, laughing as they spun around. “I don’t care about the ring. I just want you.”

Lowering Raven back to the ground, Anya’s smile brightened the room. She slid the ring onto Raven’s finger. She still ignored it, her eyes focused solely on Anya’s.

“I love you,” Raven said.

“Good,” Anya whispered back. She kissed her again, because she couldn’t not kiss her, “I love you.”

Laughing, Raven jumped into her arms, that was when she finally caught sight of the ring, “And I love the ring. It’s very pretty.”

“Clarke helped,” Anya replied. “Or rather, she tried. But I knew it was the one for you as soon as I saw it.”

“I helped!” Clarke insisted, finally breaking into their little world. “And I just recorded all of that mushy nonsense for you guys. Now can we please grab my fiancée and go watch _Elf_?”

Looking over her shoulder, Raven laughed at the pout she spotted on Clarke’s face. Then Lexa appeared from the kitchen and winked at her, “I knew you were gone too long!”

“I had to steal your movie,” Lexa held up her copy of _Elf_. “And I had to jump out of your bedroom window back at the Griffin’s so you wouldn’t see I hadn’t left yet. Call it even?”

“Deal,” Raven laughed and nodded.

The four of them worked quickly to turn off all the lights and blow out all the candles. They pulled their coats tighter around themselves, and pulled on gloves and hats, before heading outside again.

They were nearly to the Griffin’s house when Raven slowed to a stop, wanting just a moment alone with her fiancée.

“Are you okay?” Anya asked, cupping her face gently.

“I’m just fine. I’m perfect,” Raven promised. She leaned in, knowing Anya would give her a kiss. Then she whispered, “I think I may learn to love Christmas after all.”

Anya threw her head back and laughed. Then she pulled Raven in for a tight hug, “and her heart grew three sizes that day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Told you there'd be a second one today!! I'm back on track!!


	7. Merry Hanukkah!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke loves Christmas. Everything about it. But she can't seem to get her girlfriend to join her in the land of enthusiastic love for the holiday. It only takes a few weeks for Clarke to question why that might be. The answer to her questions is not even close to what she was thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Prompt (Given by HowNowWit):   
> Clexa. They haven't been dating all that long but things are becoming more serious. As Christmas approaches, Clarke brings Lexa tree-hunting and gift shopping, etc and the entire time Lexa is willing and supportive, just somewhat reserved. More of the nod and smile type rather than an active participant. Clarke begins to doubt herself and think she's done something wrong or is taking things too fast, and becomes worried. When one finally addresses their concerns with the other, turns out Lexa is Jewish, just not much of an active participant in her religion. Needless to say, that holiday season, Clarke incorporates a few new decorations in her apartment/house.
> 
>  
> 
> Fair warning, I'm not religious. My family is not religious. I don't go too deep into any religion. But!! If I wrote something that somehow offends someone, please let me know!!

**_December 4 th_ **

It was almost too hard to contain her excitement. If Clarke Griffin had to pick a holiday to celebrate over and over again, if she had to pick one holiday to live inside, it would be Christmas. She loved everything about it, the songs the gifts, the food, the quality family time. Now that she’d finally moved from Los Angeles to New York City, she even got to love snow.

To make her first Christmas in New York that much better, she was also celebrating her first Christmas with her girlfriend, Lexa. They’d been together for a few months now, since the beginning of September, and Clarke couldn’t wait for Lexa to learn all about her family traditions.

“What about this one?” Clarke asked, stopping next to a beautifully full Noble Spruce.

“It’s okay, I guess,” Lexa replied, a small smile on her lips.

Sighing, Clarke continued on her mission to find the perfect tree for her tiny one-bedroom apartment. She’d already dragged poor Lexa to a handful of tree lots. Nothing really caught her eye though. And Lexa’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t helping.

“I still don’t get why you won’t just get a fake tree,” Lexa said as she trailed behind Clarke. She was trying very hard to keep her boredom from her tone.

“Real trees are just better,” Clarke replied absentmindedly.

“Real trees catch fire better,” Lexa muttered.

After thoroughly searching the lot twice, Clarke sighed again, “Let’s just go. It isn’t here.”

“I’m sorry,” Lexa wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked away.

“Because I didn’t find a tree or because you don’t really care if I do?” Clarke replied. Her tone had a bit of a bite to it.

Kissing Clarke’s temple, Lexa smiled, “I’m sorry, babe. I do care. I just don’t understand what you’re looking for.”

“A tree,” Clarke whined.

“There’s a tree,” Lexa pointed at one, a stringy little browning stump. Then she pointed to one that was leaning precariously to the right, “There’s another.”

Swallowing her giggles, Clarke poked her in the side, “Not what I meant and you know it.”

Bumping her hip to the side, Lexa replied, “You said you’re looking for a tree. I thought maybe you forgot what they look like.”

****

**_December 7 th_ **

“Lexa! Come on!” Clarke pulled her girlfriend behind her as she moved toward the gigantic tree.

“It’s a tree,” Lexa replied. She pulled Clarke to a stop and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, her chin on Clarke’s shoulder, “It looks just the one you bought yesterday. All decorated pretty and all that.”

“But it’s the Rockefeller Center Tree!”

Nodding, Lexa kissed her neck, “I know.”

Shifting away, Clarke pulled her scarf a little tighter. She gripped Lexa’s arms and laughed when she started to sway them side-to-side to the beat of the music playing through speakers nearby.

“I want to have a tree this big one day,” Clarke said, her eyes tracing every branch of the tree.

“You really love Christmas don’t you?”

Nodding, Clarke turned in Lexa’s arms. She offered a sweet kiss before saying, “It’s a season to celebrate love and family. What isn’t to love about it?”

****

**_December 9 th _ **

“I don’t know, Mom,” Clarke said for the millionth time. She was pacing in her apartment, not a difficult feat given it was so small. She glanced at her door, making sure it was still closed. She dropped her voice to a whisper in case Lexa had woken up, “She just doesn’t seem to care. She wasn’t all that interested in picking out a tree. She changes the subject every time I tease her about presents. I brought up our pajamas tradition and she suddenly remembered some meeting she had the next day and had to leave.”

“ _Clarke_ ,” Abby Griffin sighed on the other end of the line, “ _Maybe she’s just not a Christmas person?_ ”

Shaking her head, Clarke refused to believe that, “I can’t be this in love with someone who hates Christmas.”

“ _Maybe she doesn’t hate Christmas. Maybe she’s just not into all of the fuss_ ,” Abby offered.

“Maybe she just never got to experience a Christmas like ours!” Clarke replied.

“Babe?” Lexa’s tired voice called through the bedroom door. “I’m cold!”

Laughing, Clarke rolled her eyes, “I have to go. Apparently the New Englander is freezing and needs the Cali girl to warm her up.”

“ _Oh! No details please!_ ” Abby responded.

****

**_December 12 th_ **

Clarke was starting to get worried. Maybe she was moving too fast. Maybe trying to include Lexa in all her holiday traditions was a bad idea. They were just weeks away from Christmas and Clarke couldn’t figure out what signals her girlfriend was sending. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to go with Clarke when she went shopping or she groaned whenever Clarke changed the channel to some Christmas movie. She was just… there. She’d smile and laugh at all the appropriate times but she was never invested in them.

While Clarke had been excited since Thanksgiving about Christmas, Lexa was more or less happy to be around Clarke. She wouldn’t make decisions on anything. She said since it was Clarke’s thing, she should choose whatever would make her happy.

And that was the problem. Clarke had never been one to be too excited about _getting_ gifts, she loved _giving_ them. She loved knowing whatever she’d picked for her loved ones would be cherished. But with Lexa… Clarke couldn’t help but feel she was making a mistake somehow.

She tried asking Lexa for her opinions, but Lexa would only try to ascertain what Clarke liked best before she answered. She never snapped or declared she was bored, she just followed Clarke while she danced through light displays. She smiled and laughed when Clarke turned giddy at the sight of dancing lights. Not once had she refused to dance with Clarke while those LED lights danced to _Jingle Bells_.

Still… Clarke couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in the wrong.

****

**_December 18 th_ **

A pounding on Clarke’s door startled her from her nap. She’d been up late for the last few days, trying to finish the last piece she needed for a gallery opening. She’d unplugged everything, her TV, her computer, her phone. All that she’d used was her old iPod and her coffee maker. She hadn’t even really eaten.

Taking a moment to remember the day, Clarke ran her hands through her hair. Or she tried to, the dried paint made it a little difficult. When the pounding started again, Clarke moved toward the door.

“What the hell, Clarke?” Lexa snapped as soon as she opened the door.

“Hello to you too,” Clarke replied, her voice was even more raspy than usual from not being used.

“You said you needed a day to finish the painting. It’s been three,” Lexa pointed out.

Shrugging, Clarke waved an arm into the apartment. Lexa strode inside and pulled off her winter layers.

“I’m going to shower really quick,” Clarke declared. She moved toward the bathroom.

“Want some company?” Lexa replied with a smirk.

“No,” Clarke answered quickly. She shook her head too. “I’ll be quick. Just make yourself comfortable.

So that’s what Lexa did. She lounged on Clarke’s bed for the fifteen minutes it took Clarke to shower. She read the news on her phone, she checked movie times in case she and Clarke decided to catch on, she even tried playing one of the games Clarke had downloaded to her phone. Her frustrations at the candy she could not crush was interrupted by Clarke’s voice.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“What?” Lexa dropped her phone to the bed and sat up.

Clarke shrugged and started to towel off her hair again. She sat on the opposite side of the bed, her eyes on her comforter, “I just… ever since the Christmas season started you haven’t been all that willing to engage in the revelry.”

“Engage in the…” Lexa snorted at her wording. Then she saw the tears building. She was up and around the bed, on the floor at Clarke’s feet in no time, “No, Clarke. Baby, no.”

“Then what is it? Do you hate Christmas? Have I fallen for a gorgeous Grinch or something?”

Laughing quietly, Lexa gathered her girlfriend in her arms, “No. Not at all. I however have fallen for a gentile.”

“A what?” Clarke’s head jerked up, her blue eyes round. “You’re…”

“Jewish?” Lexa smirked. She nodded and wiped at the single tear that had fallen down Clarke’s cheek, “I thought you knew?”

Covering her face with her hands, Clarke fell back on her bed with a groan. She shook her head and groaned again. When she spoke, her voice was muffled by her hands, “You never said anything about all the Christmas stuff!”

“I’m used to it,” Lexa replied. When Clarke only groaned again, she reached for her hands. She tried to pull them away but Clarke only sat up as she pulled. She gripped Clarke’s wrists gently and rubbed the backs of her hands with her thumbs, “Baby, it isn’t a big deal. I loved doing all that stuff with you.”

“This isn’t funny,” Clarke whined.

“Look at me?”

As if she was unable to resist the request, Clarke lowered her hands. Lexa made sure to lace their fingers together and grinned when her eyes met blue, “I am Jewish. I don’t go really go to Temple. Going to all those places and doing those things with you hasn’t been boring or irritating. I know you love Christmas. I’d happily go to a dozen more cheesy Christmas spots with you if that’s what you want.”

“I haven’t offended you?”

Shaking her head, Lexa kissed Clarke’s lips, “No. I’ve loved every second of it. I just didn’t want to tell you what to get or anything because Christmas isn’t my thing. I don’t want to get it wrong.”

“The only way you get Christmas wrong is if you make it all about the material things and yourself,” Clarke whispered to her. She took another kiss, then another.

“Well then I guess I’ll do just fine with your crazy holiday,” Lexa smiled.

****

**_December 22 nd_ **

“Clarke?” Lexa called out as she entered her girlfriend’s apartment. “I’m here and I have food.

She flipped on the lights and nearly dropped the pizza. There were blue and white decorations replacing the red and green. The tree they’d searched all of the city for was still there but gone were the shining neon ornaments and flashing colored lights. Instead there were white lights and blue ornaments and, when Lexa walked closer, she saw doves and even a small Menorah ornament on the tree.

“Merry Hanukkah!” Clarke said from her spot on the couch. Somehow Lexa hadn’t even seen her.

“What?”

Clarke stood and moved to her side, taking the pizza and placing it on the coffee table. She helped Lexa out of her coat and scarf and hat. Then she let Lexa take in the decorations again. She bit her lip when Lexa spotted the small Menorah on the window sill.

“I… umm… I don’t know much about Hanukkah,” Clarke explained. She starting wringing her fingers together and talking rapidly, “It’s just that you said you don’t really practice your faith but it is still important to you. And then you said Hanukkah was coming up so I checked and today is the first day. I have no idea what we’re meant to do about that, I just know you light a candle. That’s all I got. But I thought maybe you’d want to light a candle here and that – ”

Lips crashing into hers forced her to stop her rambling. She wrapped pushed her fingers into Lexa’s hair and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Lexa’s hands splayed on her back, holding her securely.

When Lexa pulled away, only because they both needed to breath, she was grinning. She kissed Clarke softly, just once more before looking around again. “There’s a lot of tradition in Hanukkah. I don’t follow most of it, but the candle… we can do that.”

“Yeah?”

Running the tip of her nose up Clarke’s cheek, Lexa kissed her temple, “You got rid of those neon ornaments for me?”

“My limited research said blue and white was a better choice,” Clarke replied, her eyes finding and holding Lexa’s, trying to see if she’d made the right call.

“Is this going to be our holiday tradition?” Lexa asked.

Nodding, Clarke moved her hands to Lexa’s shoulders. She watched Lexa check out the apartment one more time, “Merry Hanukkah.”

“Merry Hanukkah?” Lexa repeated, testing the words on her tongue. She nodded, it felt good. “I love you.”

Blushing, Clarke smiled, “Yeah? That’s good, because I love you too. And that was meant to be your gift for tonight!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	8. Surprises for Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven has a series of surprises waiting for Anya. Little does she know about the surprise Anya has in store for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Yes. I booby trapped the presents because you do this every year.”
> 
> AKA: Raven causes trouble and gets a surprise in return.

Raven Reyes hadn’t been that excited for Christmas morning since she was a kid. The last time she’d woken up before dawn and patiently stayed in bed until a more socially acceptable hour was probably when she was nine and she knew her parents had bought a soldering iron for her. She was nine that year. In the fifteen years since, she’d been content to sleep until someone woke her.

She had a plan all laid out. She’d get up in a few minutes, shower, and then make a delicious breakfast to deliver to her wonderful girlfriend who was currently sleeping soundly next to her. After they finished eating, she was hoping for some good morning loving before Anya would insist on taking a quick shower. Then she’d clean up the breakfast dishes and turn on some soft Christmas music and wait.

Finally, her phone vibrated next to her on the bed. Time to start the day!

****

It only took her a half hour to whip up the fluffy pancakes Anya liked so much, and pile them along with bacon, eggs, and orange slices onto the plates on the tray Raven bought just for the occasion. She carried it carefully, trying to not spill a drop of coffee or milk or juice.

Anya was sitting up in bed by the time she got there.

“I was wondering where you were,” Anya smiled sleepily. She stretched and reached out to take the tray from her, “Breakfast in bed? Does this count as one of my presents?”

“Nope,” Raven grinned, climbing across Anya’s knees to settle on her side of the bed.

Holding out one of the forks, Anya waited for Raven to take the first bite. Then she jabbed at the pancakes and asked, “Then what’s with the surprise?”

“I love you,” was all Raven offered in response.

They ate the food surprisingly quickly but they nursed the coffees a bit. They chatted about the plans for the day, like when Lexa and Clarke would make their appearance so they could all head to Abby’s house for the rest of the festivities.

Then, to Raven’s delight, she got that morning loving she had been hoping for.

****

For whatever reason, Anya took an extra long shower. So long that Raven was almost about to stand up and start pacing when she finally appeared in the living room. But she looked so gorgeous, Raven forgot to complain about her taking forever.

“Pretty!” Was all Raven said.

“Well thanks,” Anya smirked, dropping a kiss to her forehead. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Once they were sitting on the couch, Raven grinned. She kissed Anya’s cheek and settled into her side, sighing in total contentment. She really wanted to wait for her girlfriend to suggest opening presents but her excitement was just too much to handle.

“Presents!” She stated loudly, reaching for the first of Anya’s gifts.

She laughed and shook her head, “How about we open them at the same time? One for you and one for me?”

Glancing at the pile of gifts, Raven quickly counted. She’d bought a handful of gifts for Anya, all wrapped in the same paper. There were an equal number of gifts waiting for her.

“Sure!” She nodded.

After Anya handed her a present, Raven tore right into it. She wanted to see the look on Anya’s face when she opened hers.

“Baby,” Raven sighed and grinned at the photo frame in her lap.

They’d gone to one of those painting workshops months ago. Raven had struggled to paint a decent looking spaceship on the side of a ceramic coffee mug while Anya had opted for a picture frame. When Anya had gone back to pick them up, she swore they told her the frame had cracked.

Now it was sitting in her lap. Bright streaks of reds and oranges and yellows flowing together with big black letters stating ‘MY FOREVER’ scrolled across the top. A picture of Raven and Anya at Lincoln and Octavia’s wedding last summer was inside. They’d been a part of the wedding party and in her infinite wisdom, Octavia had decided to have red as one of the colors of her wedding. So there sat Raven on Anya’s lap, her head thrown back in laughter while Anya watched her reverently.

“I haven’t seen this picture before,” Raven whispered, her fingers tracing Anya’s face.

“I asked Lincoln and O to keep that one a secret,” Anya replied, her smile gentle and her eyes soft. “I knew I wanted it for us as soon as I saw it.”

“Thank you,” Raven said. Leaning over, she pressed her lips to Anya’s, catching her off guard. She traced her lips with the tip of her tongue before nipping at her bottom lip, pulling away when she gasped. She handed Anya her first gift. “Your turn.”

It took a few seconds for Anya to clear the fog that had filled her mind. She cleared her throat and blinked down at the present in her lap, “Raves… this wrapping paper has your face all over it.”

“You always say you love my face,” Raven shrugged.

“You’re ridiculous,” Anya laughed.

As Raven watched her tear into the paper, muttering about how weird it was to rip her girlfriend’s face in half, she could only smile. She knew what was coming. Anya had no clue. Once the paper was tossed away, Anya opened the box and stared inside.

“Is that…” her face shifted from happy to confused in less than a second. “Raven, is that duct tape?”

“It is,” Raven nodded, smiling.

Sighing, Anya got up and retrieved a knife from the kitchen. She went to work on cutting away the tape, growling at how long it was taking. Fifteen minutes later, she was holding another box, this one much thinner. Cautiously, she opened it.

“Plane tickets?”

Raven’s smile grew even bigger, “To Australia. You said you’ve always wanted to go and I have a conference there in a few months so I booked you tickets to go with me. You’ll be on your own for the first few days but then it’s just you and me in a bungalow on the beach!”

****

The gift giving continued like that. Anya gave Raven a constellation map of their first meeting. Raven gave her a new leather briefcase, she’d wrapped it in bubble warp though, laughing every time Anya’s attempts burst another little bubble.

Then Anya gave Raven the keys to a broken down café racer, a project for her to work on. Raven gave her a huge Hufflepuff care package, something Anya would never admit she wanted. Of course, following the theme of Raven’s gift so far, it was wrapped in a vinyl tablecloth that had been taped up. Anya’s jaw was starting to hurt from all the clenching and growling. There was a sweatshirt, socks, a soft blanket, a mug, some pens, and a lanyard. All the things Raven could find to represent her girlfriend’s Hogwarts house. Anya had huffed about that, like she wasn’t just as proud to be a Hufflepuff as Raven was to be a Ravenclaw.

Next up, Anya tried her best to smile broadly when she handed Raven her next gift. Inside the folder, she found all the paperwork she needed for private pilot lessons. The squeal Raven had let out made Anya jump.

“Babe!” She exclaimed. “No!”

“If you don’t want them,” Anya shrugged, reaching for the folder.

Yanking the folder away, Raven narrowed her eyes, “I’ll cut you!”

They shared a kiss, then another, before Raven handed over her next gift. Another session of tearing away Raven’s faces, something Anya was feeling slightly less guilty about. Then she let out a hissing breath.

“Really?” She glared at her girlfriend. “Zip ties?”

Shrugging, Raven replied, “It’s funny?”

Thrusting the box into Raven’s hands, Anya snapped, “You do it then!”

Instead of arguing, she took out a box cutter and slid through the ties. She’d anticipated Anya’s reluctance and already precut the ties about halfway through their width. She winked and handed it back to Anya.

“I don’t know why you thought this was funny,” Anya sighed as she accepted it again.

“You do this stuff every year!” Raven responded. She kissed Anya’s cheek and laughed at her pout, “It isn’t my fault you decided to grow up this year.”

“I didn’t decide anything! You threatened to boycott sex if I did anything this year!”

With a shrug, Raven waved a hand at the gift, “Open your present.”

“No more tricks?” Anya narrowed her eyes.

“Didn’t say that,” Raven laughed. “And how was I meant to know you’d actually stop with the pranks?”

“Raven,” Anya rolled her eyes. “You said no sex. I take that very seriously.”

Laughing, Raven pointed at the present again. She waited patiently while Anya careful cut through the scotch tape holding the box closed. Then she giggled when the box was opened.

Of all the things Anya had been expecting, a gift certificate to the sex toyshop on the other side of the city was not it. She and Raven had discussed broadening their games in the bedroom, adding more toys to their arsenal, but they hadn’t agreed to anything.

“Raves?”

“I said we could do some exploring,” Raven whispered huskily in her ear. She nibbled at the lobe before adding, “Just know that whatever you do to me, I get to do to you.”

Swallowing thickly, Anya nodded. She glanced at her phone, wanting to check the store hours. Raven’s laughter drew her attention.

“They’re closed until the 27th,” Raven said.

“Oh, okay,” Anya nodded again. “But yeah, this… this is a good one. Thank you.”

Grinning, Raven smiled and accepted a series of kisses. She was looking forward to their trip. She knew they were going to have a lot of fun.

After a few minutes of kisses and caresses, Anya pulled away. She smiled and offered one more peck.

“Ready for the last?” She asked.

“Same time?” Raven questioned.

They exchanged the boxes, smiling shyly at each other the whole time. With Raven’s last gift on her mind, Anya glanced down suspiciously.

“There isn’t a prank in that one,” Raven told her, giggling at the sigh of relief. “I knew you’d be annoyed.”

On the count of three, they tore into the presents. Raven let out a playful growl when she spotted another wrapped box inside the first. Anya laughed, and nudged her with her shoulder.

“You really didn’t think I’d be able to resist right?”

Rolling her eyes, Raven told her to get back to opening her own gift while she dug through boxes to find hers. Instead, Anya watched her open four more boxes, giggling louder with every sigh Raven let out.

As Raven started to work on the second to last box, Anya finally popped her present open. A big red balloon rose out of it slowly. Attached to the bottom was a card. She grabbed the card and opened it, eager to see what it was. Then she gasped.

“Raven?”

“I’m almost there!” Raven replied, trying to open the box.

“Raves,” Anya put her hand on her thigh. “Is this real?”

Glancing up, Raven blushed, “Yes…”

“You…” Anya looked inside the box and gasped. “Open your gift, Raven.”

Hurrying, Raven opened the last box, smiling when she saw the contents.

“So…” Anya said slowly. “How do you want to play this?”

“Same time?” Raven pulled her eyes away from the present and met Anya’s.

They counted to three, their fingers lacing together and eyes never straying. Then at the same time, they asked, “Will you marry me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	9. Years in the Making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke agrees to go to a party to run interference between her best friend, Lexa, and her ex-girlfriend. What she never expects is for the ex to bring the two of them closer than they've ever been in the most unexpected of ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Lexa’s ex (doesn’t have to be Costia but it can be) will be at the Christmas party Lexa is going to. Clarke agrees to pose as her girlfriend.
> 
> This one went in a direction I wasn't expecting. It follows the prompt mostly. I hope you all enjoy!!

**_December 23 rd _ **

Unlocking a door with hands filled with bags was torture. In all her stubborn glory, Clarke refuse to lower any of her hard fought for little victories of the last minute shopping trip she’d forced her on to the ground. As if that 70-something-year-old woman from that one store was still lurking, trying to swoop in and steal the necklace she’d bought for her mother.

“Every year, Griffin,” She muttered to herself. She tried every way she could think of to get the key in the lock. Nothing was working out her way. “Every year I say I’ll get my shopping done early. Every year, I see the sales and I have the money and I have the time. But no… Every single year, I wait until the last minute.”

“Maybe you like the adrenaline,” a new voice sounded from behind her.

Sighing and holding out her keys, Clarke rolled her eyes, “I almost elbowed an elderly woman in the throat, Lex.”

A chuckle and fingers closing around her keys drew Clarke’s eyes to her best friend. She was all dressed up. Arching a single brow, Clarke forced her eyes up from the great showing of legs Lexa was putting on. Little black dresses were her third favorite thing to see Lexa in. She watched Lexa slip the key into the lock and then grinned when she turned to take some of the bags from her. She redistributed the rest of them, thankful for the blood flow that was starting up again.

“Why do you do this?” Lexa asked, lowering the shopping bags to the counter.

“I like adventure,” Clarke replied with a shrug.

Getting the bags away from Lexa was her first goal once they were inside. Lexa’s gift was right there, three feet from her elbow and the last thing Clarke wanted was for Lexa to accident see it. So she stowed everything in the guest room before returning to the kitchen. She paused in the doorway, Lexa was pacing.

After waiting a minute or two, Clarke cleared her throat, “What’s going on?”

“What?” Lexa whirled to face her. She hadn’t heard Clarke come back. “Nothing. Everything’s fine.”

“Really? Because you’re picking at your nails. You only do that when you’re nervous.”

Cursing under her breath, Lexa shook her hands out, “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

“How many more times are you going to say that?” Clarke laughed.

Moving to the refrigerator, she pulled out a beer. She’d been working on a new collection for a gallery opening for weeks. Her back was sore, her fingers were still stiff from her brushes, and her brain hurt from all the thinking and processing she’d been doing.

She was just about to open the beer when Lexa’s hand covered the cap. Glancing over, she saw Lexa wearing her ‘I don’t know what to do and I don’t know how to ask you what I need to ask you’ face. That immediately had Clarke lowering the beer to the counter.

“What is it?” She asked, reaching for her friend’s hands.

“It isn’t a big thing. It’s a small thing. Miniscule,” Lexa said rapidly. She shook her head, “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It isn’t a big deal.”

Clarke waited a beat, thinking Lexa would just come out and say whatever she needed to say. When she didn’t, Clarke sighed, “What do you need, Lex? I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Great. Lexa was doing the blinking thing. That means she thinks Clarke is going to either be angry or overreact to something.

“Indra’s having a party tonight!” Lexa announced suddenly. She squeezed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. “She wants me to be there. I have, like, two hours to get to her house.”

“So you’re nervous? Because you’re going to your boss’s house?” Clarke guessed.

Shaking her head, Lexa pulled one hand free to run it through her hair, “No. It’s not… She’s not the… Just no.”

“Then what?”

Lexa tipped her head back slightly, blinking up at the ceiling like she was fighting tears off. That’s when it clicked from Clarke. She’d seen that look before. She knew what that meant.

“Costia’s home,” She said quietly.

When Clarke and Lexa had met their senior year of college, as roommates of course because someone needed to live up to stereotypes, Lexa had a girlfriend. It hadn’t stopped Clarke from forming a crushing on her of course. Nor had it stopped Lexa from realizing how amazing Clarke was. But Lexa’s girlfriend, the mysterious Costia, had always been on the back of their minds.

They never crossed any lines. They never shared a bed. They never drunkenly kissed. They were careful to keep things platonic. Lexa may have been enamored with her roommate but she loved Costia.

They lived together through graduation and grad school, Lexa earning her law degree and Clarke her Master’s in art therapy. They’d discovered the need to live together when Costia announced she was going to England to finish her PhD in botany. So they found a quant little place and made it their home until Lexa had herself firmly in place at the law firm owned by Indra, Costia’s mother, and Clarke found her following in the art world.

Three weeks after Lexa moved out though, she was back on Clarke’s couch, crying and refusing to speak. In all the confusion, Clarke called Costia on Lexa’s phone in hopes of getting some answers. Instead, a man answered the phone and before Clarke could say a word he called Lexa several choice names and told her to quit being desperate. Costia had been cheating on Lexa since a week after her arrival in England. She was newly married and was due to give birth to her first child in just a couple of months. Lexa found out when she jumped on a plane to surprise Costia for a week long vacation in celebration of her newest promotion.

That had been two years ago. And now Costia was home. Which meant she’d be at Indra’s party.

“What do you need?” Clarke whispered, pulling her best friend in for a tight hug.

“I need to not cry,” Lexa murmured, turning her face into Clarke’s neck. “I didn’t put on waterproof mascara.”

Chuckling, Clarke leaned back and carefully wiping away the tear tracks on Lexa’s cheekbones. She leaned in and kissed her cheek, “What else?”

“Go with me?”

“To the party?” Clarke asked, blinking owlishly.

Nodding, Lexa caught Clarke’s wrist before she could retreat. She stared into blue eyes, knowing Clarke would see her begging for understanding. There was no way Lexa could face Costia without Clarke, her rock and safe harbor, with her.

That isn’t to say Clarke didn’t try to resist the urge to agree. She fought it with every ounce of her. She’d only met Costia a dozen or so time before the woman disappeared and broke Lexa’s heart but she hated her. She wasn’t sure she could be trusted to not slap the woman.

“If it helps, Raven will be there,” Lexa offered, her tone just on the edge of begging.

“I’m doing this for you,” Clarke replied, resigned to her once quiet evening of junk food and Netflix transforming into one filled with boring lawyer talk and champagne. She rolled her eyes when Lexa clapped and whooped in victory. “Yeah, yeah. How long do I have to get ready?”

****

The party was… expensive. That was the only adjective Clarke could think of to describe it. She hadn’t thought anyone actually ate caviar. Not willingly anyway. Those lawyers though, they sucked it down faster than Clarke drank her favorite triple chocolate milkshake.

The company wasn’t horrible. Her other best friends were there. Raven was with Anya, her girlfriend, and she was having the time of her life making Anya drool over her in an almost obscenely too-tight red dress. Octavia was with Lincoln, Indra’s son, and she was prowling the parameter of the room like she was on a mission.

Everyone else though, Clarke had never met so many personality-suckers at once. They all had questions about what she did for a living, many arching a brow when she said she was an artist. Those same eyes would fall to her diamond necklace and Versace dress in obvious wonderment in how a humble artist could afford them. She smiled at the stares and turned away to find Lexa again.

“Clarke,” Raven hissed from her right as soon as she approached the bar. “Where’s Lexa?”

“She had to use the restroom,” Clarke replied before ordering more beer for herself and for Lexa. “Why?”

“The witch is here,” Octavia growled.

Turning her head as subtly as she could, Clarke’s jaw clenched when she saw Costia. She looked so happy, her arms around her husband’s waist, her head leaning against his shoulder as she smiled at something one of the other guests said.

Taking a sip of her beer, Clarke handed the glasses to Raven and started to move. Octavia caught her wrist to stop her.

“Don’t be stupid,” she warned.

“I’m just going to go and get Lex,” Clarke replied softly. She jerked her head toward Costias before adding, “I want her to have some kind of warning that she’s made her appearance.”

After a moment, and a scrutinizing glare into her eyes, Octavia let her go. Hurrying around the room the room toward the bathroom she’d seen Lexa head into a few minutes before. On the way, she happened to make eye contact with Lincoln. He nodded and moved toward his sister, apparently knowing Clarke was going to brace Lexa.

“Lex,” Clarke knocked on the door. She tried the knob, it turned in her hand. She peeked inside to see Lexa leaning back against the vanity, her head in her hands. “Oh, Lex!”

Gathering her in her arms, Clarke kissed the side of her head. She whispered anything and everything she could think of in an effort to comfort. She rocked a little from side to side, telling Lexa how much she loved her and that everything was okay. Finally, Lexa pulled in a stuttered deep breath and nodded, picking her head up from Clarke’s shoulder.

“You already saw her?” Clarke asked even though she knew the answer. Lexa nodded again, turning to wipe away the running mascara. Meeting Lexa’s eyes, Clarke smiled softly and rubbed her back, “That almost looks like war paint. I almost think you ought to leave it and show her the Commander for a bit. But… do you want to leave?”

“No,” Lexa said firmly. She’d earned a place in Indra’s inner circle since starting at the firm. She wasn’t going to let Costia scare her off.

Grinning, Clarke offered her hand, “Then we should get back out there and show that idiot what she gave up.”

****

It took nearly an hour for Costia to finally make eye contact with Clarke. Not that Clarke had been trying. She’d just been watching where Costia so she could steer Lexa away from her.

When Indra received a call from an important client, she’d signaled for Lexa to follow her before heading to her office. That left Clarke alone until she could find Raven, Anya, or Octavia. After about ten minutes of her searching, Costia found her.

“I see your guard dog has finally left,” Costia said as she smirked.

“Excuse me?” Clarke replied.

Rolling her perfectly done up brown eyes, Costia clicked her tongue, “She never could stay away from you. It was always all about you, from the day she met you.”

“Lexa and I are – ”

“None of your business,” Lexa cut off whatever Clarke was about to say.

“So you’ve finally made your affairs public?” Costia asked.

Confused, Clarke looked between the former lovers, “Affairs?”

All Lexa could do was sigh, “Clarke and I never crossed any lines when you and I were together, Costia. I told you that.”

The snort that left the other woman almost startled Clarke, “Oh please, anyone can see how you two are together. I’m not an idiot.”

“Yes, so you said when you broke up with me,” Lexa replied, looking bored.

Not even beginning to understand what was happening, Clarke was trying to follow along. When Lexa had come back early from England, she’d just said that Costia had gotten married and was pregnant. In all the years they’d known each other, Lexa had never mentioned Costia having an issue with their friendship.

“She’s been hanging all over you all night,” Costia pointed out.

“You sound like you’re jealous,” Lexa laughed quietly. She shook her head, “You left me. You don’t get to be indignant about who I’m with.”

Eyes narrowing, Costia stared at the arm Lexa had wrapped around Clarke at some point during their discussion. She crossed her arms over her chest, “So you are together.”

“Yes,” Clarke said before Lexa could reply. She slid her arm around Lexa, pulling her closer to her side. “For a while now. But never while she was with you. In fact… thank you, Costia.”

“You’re thanking me?” Costia sputtered in disbelief.

Grinning and meeting Lexa’s green eyes, which were wide with shock, Clarke nodded, “Well, Lex was head over heels for you. Did you know she was going to propose to you when she came to see you? She had a beautiful ring and everything. And you… your mistake became my happiness. So yeah. Thanks.”

Leaning closer to Lexa, she pressed a kiss to her neck, just under her ear. Costia’s eyes narrowed even more. Lexa looked dazed.

“I’m going to go and find Rae and O,” Clarke said just loudly for Costia to hear her. “Can we leave soon? I can hear the couch and Netflix calling for us.”

And then she was gone. Lexa didn’t even remember Costia standing there as Clarke walked away.

****

“You didn’t!” Raven howled with laughter.

Next to her, Octavia was clapping and sheering for Clarke and her sass, “put that bitch firmly in her place! Yes!”

“You know she probably interrogated Lexa right? After you left?” Lincoln asked. He was watching the door to the study, waiting for Lexa to make an appearance.

“Nope,” Clarke shook her head. “Where do you think Anya is?”

“No!” Raven stopped laughing. She stood and tried to walk toward the door. “You mean you’re letting me miss Anya getting her claws into Costia after all this time?”

She was only a few feet from the door when it opened. There stood Lexa and Anya, both laughing and shaking their heads.

“What happened? Do I still have a sister?” Lincoln questioned.

“Oh yeah,” Lexa nodded. She hurried to hug Clarke. “You’re a genius. She really thinks we’ve been dating for like a year!”

Returning the hug, Clarke shook her head, “I didn’t say a year. I said a while. I didn’t want to tell her too many lies. Santa is watching!”

“I’ll be your Santa,” Lexa whispered in her ear before turning to face the room at large.

“Details!” Octavia shouted.

So Anya and Lexa went about telling them what had occurred. Costia puffing up as Clarke walked away, like she was proud she’d driven her off or something. Then Costia deflating as Anya popped up next to Lexa like a Jack-in-the-Box from Hell. Every comment Costia made about the days where Lexa was hers was shot down by Anya. It only took Lexa a few minutes to recover from Clarke’s bomb to get in on it. Then, the icing on the cake, Roan showed up.

Having never seen Lexa before, he had no idea who his wife was talking to. He strolled up next to her, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her into his side, and asked about her friends. Anya’s cutting remark about never being friends with someone who had no honor had definitely caught Roan’s attention.

“He didn’t even know Costia and I had dated,” Lexa whispered, smiling sort of sadly. “He thought I was a friend who had a crush on her.”

“You were together for seven years,” Octavia shook her head.

With a shrug, Lexa hugged Clarke again, “Yeah and who knows how often she cheated. Sorry, Lincoln.”

“If I’d have known she was doing that stuff, I’d have said something,” Lincoln replied with a shrug. “You can’t choose who you’re related to right?”

****

Another hour to two passed before Lexa and Clarke headed back to Clarke’s apartment for ice cream and movies. They stripped out of their dresses and pulled on sweats and t-shirts. Their make up was removed and their hair was tied back in messy buns.

That was Clarke’s second favorite look on Lexa. Relaxed and happy. The night hadn’t gone exactly how they thought it would. Lexa had certainly cried a great deal less than they’d anticipated. And the truth had been revealed, that Costia had lied to nearly everyone about Lexa.

At midnight, Lexa let out a sigh. The day was officially over. They’d eaten their ice cream and watched half of a movie. Nothing compared to what movie nights with Clarke are usually like, but Lexa would take it.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Lexa said quietly after she paused the movie.

Not even trying to pretend like she didn’t know what Lexa was talking about, Clarke shrugged, “I know. But I wanted to. I knew Costia was only going to get more vicious in the accusations if we kept denying.”

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Lexa nodded. Costia had been certain Lexa was hooking up with Clarke all those years ago. No matter how adamantly Lexa denied it, Costia was certain. She thought it was impossible for anyone to be that oblivious.

“Do you ever…” She started to voice a question that had been in her mind since the night she’d sought comfort from Clarke when she returned from England. She shook her head though. It’d be foolish to drag up old feelings. They weren’t children anymore. “Never mind.”

“No, not never mind,” Clarke responded. She sat up and caught Lexa’s hands in her own. She rubbed circles in the backs of her hands and smiled, “the answer is all the time.”

“What?”

Chuckling, and ducking her head to hide the blush, Clarke continued, “Lex, I think about it all the time. The what ifs.”

“Like…” Lexa squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Like if I hadn’t been with Costia? Or been a little more brave after Costia?”

“I’d have been all over you,” Clarke lifted her head and winked.

Lexa smirked and shook her head, “It’ll always be like that right? The what ifs and if onlys.”

That was met with silence. Clarke stared into her eyes, blue orbs dancing from side to side, trying to figure out an answer to that. Finally, Clarke sighed, “They don’t have to be. It isn’t like we aren’t both single. And we both know that whatever we have is… more.”

“Clarke,” Lexa breathed.

“I know,” she replied. “It’d be a risk. But… maybe worth it. Plus, I think I deserve a reward. Not only did I shut Costia up, but you’ve been sitting under mistletoe for more than an hour and I haven’t said a word.”

Glancing up, Lexa saw the small sprig over her head, “Why would you put that over my spot? No one else sits here.”

“Exactly,” Clarke laughed at the dumbfounded look. She squeezed Lexa’s hands one last time before she let them go, “I’m going to give you your present now and you aren’t allowed to say no.”

Before she could argue, Clarke was hurrying to the guest room. She retrieved the bag with Lexa’s gift inside and rushed back to the couch. Without saying another word, she handed it to her.

After a moment of hesitation, Lexa pulled out a graphic novel. Her brows scrunched together in confusion. She’d never really been one for comic books, Clarke knew that. Then she looked at the book and gasped. It was her. On the cover. In some weird dystopian clothing and with war paint across her cheeks.

“ _Grounders_?” Lexa read the title.

“I… made that for you,” Clarke said, her hands wringing together in her lap. She studied her floor as she continued, “It’s the only one in existence. A client works for a publishing company, he helped me get that made for you.”

Lexa smiled, thumbing through the book slowly, “Clarke… this is amazing. Thank you. I don’t have your gift with me.”

“That’s fine, I can wait,” Clarke glanced at her quickly before dropping her eyes to the floor again. “Could you read the acknowledgments?”

And so that’s what Lexa did. She barely finished the first paragraph before she gasped.

 

> **_I owe all my thanks to my best friend, you. My Lex. You are the heart of my hearts. I know we’ve always danced around each other. We know what is here. We know what more there could be. Neither one of us wants to be the one to step forward and start… us. But Lex, my intelligent, funny, gorgeous Lex, I want to. I want to try. I want you. I want you and me. I want us._ **
> 
> **_I wish I could say this to you. I wish I could be brave and tell you how you still take my breath away every time I see you. I wish I could tell you how just looking at you makes my fingers itch to draw or paint and my arms ache to hold you._ **
> 
> **_I’ve tried to be a good friend to you. The best actually. You weren’t mine for the taking when we met. And then when you were free, you need a friend more than you needed me to try to win you over. To try to win you heart for myself. So I waited._ **
> 
> **_And now? Now I don’t want to wait. I want you. I want you and me. I want us._ **
> 
> **_I know I’ll be sitting right next to you when you read this. I can be that brave. But… I’m probably chewing my lip raw and trying not to cry._ **
> 
> **_I’ll take what I can get, Lex. I just need you in my life. I just think we deserve to know what more we could be._ **
> 
> **_{Now would be a good time to tell me to stop biting my lip and to look at you…}_ **

 

“Clarke,” Lexa sniffled. She closed the book and set it on the coffee table. She turned to see her best friend’s hands clasped together so tightly the knuckles were white, her eyes were still on the floor but Lexa could see the tears building.

“Did I ruin us?” Clarke said, turning her head to search for the answer in Lexa’s eyes.

“I have to admit, I’m thrown. And that I’m disappointed…” Lexa replied and shrugged. When Clarke let out a whimper and tried to stand, Lexa stopped her by catch her wrist. She cupped her face with her hand, wiping away a tear with her thumb before turning Clarke to look at her. “I’m disappointed because I was going to ask you for a date. Today actually. Well… tomorrow. I had it all planned out. There was going to be mistletoe involved. Raven helped me plan it.”

Sniffling, Clarke foght the burning tears in her eyes, “what?”

“I’m also disappointed that I’ve been sitting under this mistletoe for over an hour and you haven’t kissed me yet,” Lexa whispered, pulling Clarke just a little closer to her.

Nothing more was needed after that. Clarke leaned into Lexa, her eyes watching Lexa closely for any sign that she didn’t want this, didn’t want her. But all she saw was Lexa’s eyes bright with happiness and tears of her own.

Their first kiss was soft. It was mind-numbingly amazing. Lips slotting together like puzzle pieces and quiet whimpers had both women wrapping their arms around the other, holding tightly. Pulling back for a moment, Lexa smiled her full smile, the one only Clarke gets to see. Then she lowered her head for another, slightly less soft kiss.

It was only when Clarke couldn’t fight the urge to lick at Lexa’s lower lip that she pulled away. She wanted to keep their first kiss, or kisses, innocent. She wanted to do everything perfectly with Lexa. Of course, Lexa’s groan of frustration had her smiling smugly.

“So… you’re okay with trying us?” Clarke asked.

Her answer came in the form of another kiss, this one just as soft as the first.

Smiling smugly, Clarke whispered against soft lips she’d spent years dreaming about, “I’m guessing you liked your gift then.”

****

The next morning came too quickly. It was Christmas Eve. That meant wrapping gifts and baking cookies and heading to Abby’s for the night.

“Clarke,” Lexa whispered, brushing a lock of hair off of her face. “We need to get started. Your mother is expecting us in eight hours.”

“You’re warm and in my bed,” Clarke replied, not even opening her eyes. She pressed her face into Lexa’s neck and nipped her pulse point. The moan she earned had her grinning. “She’s going to ask about the hickeys.”

Rolling her eyes, Lexa kissed her forehead before climbing out of her koala-like hug, “Let her ask. I earned these. All those years of unnecessary pining! Now get up and get dressed and start wrapping!”

A half an hour later, Clarke came out of her bedroom to see Lexa in her kitchen, dancing to Christmas music while she baked cookies. Dressed in a tight white t-shirt and jeans that hugged her hips and backside to perfection, Lexa was wearing Clarke’s favorite outfit. Simple but oh so beautiful. Because she could, she walked up behind her and wrapped her in a hug that was friendlier than any they’d ever shared. She splayed one hand on Lexa’s chest, over her heart, and the other ended up pressing against Lexa’s toned abs.

“I know we haven’t talked about it yet or if we’ll ever get there but…” Clarke nipped at Lexa’s ear while her fingernails scratched at Lexa’s muscles, “I cannot wait to sink my teeth into these. Or to trace them with my tongue. To mark them with bruises to anyone who would happen to see them would know they’re mine.”

“Clarke,” Lexa moaned breathlessly. She turned in her arms and caught her in a kiss. “We haven’t talked about it but… I want us too. So we’ll be us. It is our anniversary after all.”

Laughing, Clarke arched a brow, “It’s our what?”

“Anya and I told Costia we got together last year on Christmas Eve,” Lexa winked. “She almost broke her wine glass when she squeezed it.”

“Oh, well then,” Clarke stole a quick kiss. “Happy anniversary, babe. When are you taking me on our first date?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	10. Lexa's Christmas Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke overhears her best friend talking with her mother. She hears the words "I wish..." followed by something she knew Lexa was years away from being able to accomplish. Clarke though, she could do it now. 
> 
> What kind of a best friend would she be if she didn't try to fulfill Lexa's Christmas Wish?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Clarke overhears Lexa’s Christmas wish and decides to fulfill it.

She’d thought her self-appointed task would be a lot easier than it was turning out to be. A few phone calls, some sucking up, maybe a deal or two. That’s all Clarke had anticipated really. But that was so not how it was turning out.

All she’d wanted to do was get new furniture delivered to Indra’s house. It wasn’t like she’d had to jump through hoops for donations or anything. She’d bought everything herself.

Sure, she’d had to buy six of everything. Beds, bedframes, nightstands, dressers, desks, chairs. All of it. Not to mention the awesome table she’d found at an antique mall that could sit twelve people. And then there were the couches and chairs for the common areas. A couple new televisions and game systems and a few of new computers. She’d spent a small fortune on it all.

Honestly, she’d never have it any other way. If Anya hadn’t gone with her and helped her rein it in, she’d have easily spent more.

“They don’t need all of that,” Anya had said over and over again. “They need the basics, it’s just that the old basics are worn out.”

Clarke tried to argue. She wanted them to have the best she could give them.

“Why are you even doing this?” Anya asked after they cleaned out one furniture store of full-sized bedframes. When Clarke blushed and dropped her chin to chest, Anya laughed and nodded, “Okay. I get that. It has something to do with Lexa right?”

“She just… she wants to help that place so bad. Indra was the first person who made Lexa feel welcome and at home. She adopted you guys together so you’d never be separated again,” Clarke said quietly. She shifted her weight from side to side, playing with the hem of her shirt, “If Lexa was as established in her career as I am in mine, she’d be doing the same thing.”

Arching a brow, Anya asked, “How do you know that?”

“I heard her talking to Indra about all the things the home needed the last time we visited. Basically all of the furniture needs to be replaced,” Clarke answered.

“All of it?” Anya repeated. At the nod she received in response, she sighed, “Are you planning on doing all of the replacing today?”

Clarke nodded again, “It is Lexa’s Christmas wish. Like her ‘Ultimate-if-I-had-the-money-I’d-totally-do-this’ wish. Well she doesn’t have the money and she won’t for a really long time. I do.”

“I’m not telling you no,” Anya said gently, laying her hand on Clarke’s shoulder before she could start to really rant. She waited until their eyes met to continue, “I think Lexa will be really surprised. And thrilled you’re doing this.”

“No. I don’t want her to know it’s me.”

“She’ll figure it out,” Anya shrugged.

****

Three days before Christmas. That’s when the deliveries were scheduled to come in. Calling upon her stepfather’s influence with a nearby indoor waterpark and resort, Clarke arranged for Indra and the kids to be gone from the afternoon 22nd until Christmas morning. That meant the gang would have two full days to get the house emptied and put back together.

Unable to figure out what else to do, Clarke recruited Indra into the scheme. Lexa’s mother was reluctant to accept the gift. It was too big, too much. But Clarke wouldn’t take no for an answer. All Clarke needed from Indra was for the kids to pack up what they couldn’t live without and get out of the house.

Somehow, Clarke had been blessed with friends who were more than willing to give up their free time to fixing up an old house. Not that Indra’s home was run down or anything but houses need to be maintained and Indra was only one woman. She was raising three teenagers after already raising Anya, Lexa, and Lincoln.

So Raven checked over the electrical system, doing some rewiring all through the night from the 22nd into the 23rd. Anya had her friend come and do some work on the plumbing, thankfully nothing was wrong with it since Indra had replaced all the pipes just a few years before.

Then came the fun part. Lincoln brought in the guys from the Firehouse. Octavia had recruited some other police officers. Before Clarke even knew what was happening, the house had more than thirty people in it, patching walls and painting. Old carpeting was torn out, new hardwood was put in its place.

By the morning of Christmas Eve, they were moving furniture into rooms. Each room had a matching set of furniture now, brand new and ready to be lived in. Clarke especially loved the room she’d personally painted sky blue for Aden, the little thirteen-year-old who always asked her for art lessons when she tagged along on Lexa’s visits.

It was late on the night of Christmas Eve when Clarke’s plan for secrets fell apart. She and Raven were wrestling the new fridge into place, a battle they were losing, when her phone rang. She recognized the ringtone as Lexa’s but couldn’t answer it because of the fridge. Truthfully though, she wasn’t worried until Lexa called three more times. Still, the large stainless steel fridge was teetering on an edge and Clarke forced herself to focus on not getting crushed and ignoring her best friend’s calls.

As it turns out, that was a mistake. Lexa had been concerned when Clarke was gone all day for the last couple of days. So she called everyone she could think of. Conveniently, all of their friends tried to cover for her. It wasn’t until she was on the phone with Lincoln that she realized where everyone was. She heard a train whistle in the background and then church bells playing a melody.

Indra’s. The only place she’d ever heard a church’s bells play that song.

She tried to call Clarke. And then Raven. Where one was, usually the other was there too. When neither answered, she tried again and again. Tired of being ignored, Lexa jumped in her car and headed to her old home. Never in her wildest dreams would Lexa have been able to predict what she’d find there.

****

“Done!” Clarke announced as one of Indra’s favorite lamps was put back in place in the living room.

Cheers erupted from large group of workers still there. They’d raced against the clock to repaint all the walls, redo all the floors, build and place furniture. It was almost like a new house.

“Thank you all for helping! I know you’d rather have been with your families today but this… this was needed!” Clarke said loudly. Another cheer sounded through the small crowd. “I wish I could pay you all for your time. Instead, I hope you know how much these kids will appreciate this!”

After a round of hugs and pats on the back, Clarke was left alone in the house. She had some finishing touches to put in place. She arranged flowers and put up the framed adoption certificates in the hallway. She made sure all the pictures were put back in place.

It was just before ten when Clarke realized she wasn’t alone anymore. Spinning on her heel, she screamed before she saw it was only Lexa.

“What are you doing?” Lexa asked, her voice sounded strange.

“Um…” Clarke glanced around. She’d never be able to hide this. To many changes. So she shrugged, “Cleaning up before heading home.”

Lexa looked around, her eyes round in wonder as she took in the improvements to the first place she called home. When she finally looked back at Clarke, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Offering a small smile, Clarke stepped forward and hugged her, “it is what you wanted to do but can’t yet.”

“I don’t need your charity,” Lexa replied, though her words held no venom. She sounded sad. Like she felt bad that she couldn’t give her mother and sibling these things.

“It isn’t charity,” Clarke insisted. She took a small step back, holding Lexa’s elbows because she wanted to stay connected with her. “Indra deserves to have a beautiful house. And no, the house wasn’t exactly ugly before but it needed an update. I have more money than I need. My art is selling ridiculously well right now. I don’t know if I’d be able to do this next year or the year after. I can do it now, so I did.”

Lexa nodded slowly, like she was trying to convince herself she understood. Then she shook her head, “but why?”

“They’re your family. And your Christmas wish was to give them all the things you and Anya and Linc didn’t have,” Clarke replied like it was obvious. “You’re only starting out as a lawyer. You’ll be able to do these things for them in time.”

This time, Lexa didn’t react. She looked around again, spinning in place. Then she grinned. A split second later, she surged forward and caught Clarke’s lips in a fierce kiss. She cupped her face with one hand and held her hip with the other, keeping her in place.

Never had Clarke’s mind been so fogged up so quickly. It was true that she and Lexa had been dancing around one another for all the years they’d known each other. Years of one of them being single and the other taken, or years of vacations that never seemed to line up. Now, at the age of twenty-seven, Clarke was thrilled to think maybe their time had come.

When Lexa backed away, she looked like she was ready to apologize, like she thought she’d crossed a line. Clarke caught her hand and pulled her back, threading her fingers through brown locks and sinking into another kiss.

They only separated when their smiles prevented them from actually kissing anymore.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Clarke whispered, her forehead pressed to Lexa’s while they fought to get their breathing under control.

“Yeah, well,” Lexa smirked and shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting my best friend to pull a home makeover miracle at my mom’s house.”

Clarke grinned and ran her hands up and down Lexa’s arms, “Best friend? That’s it?”

“Damn woman,” Lexa laughed. She gripped Clarke’s hips and pulled her closer. “Two kisses and you already want a label?”

“Please,” Clarke rolled her eyes. “I’ve wanted a label since the moment I met you. One beyond best friend.”

Dropping her smug looks, Lexa offered her the smile she reserved just for Clarke, “You’ve always been more than that. I think I’ve always been more than halfway in love with you.”

“Me too,” Clarke confessed.

****

The next morning, Lexa and Clarke were awoken by a very excited Aden. Lexa’s youngest sibling begged them to follow him out of the guest room and into his brand new room. Unable to resist his pleading eyes, they agreed.

They’d barely finished exploring all of his new furniture before a shy 14-year-old Ontari appeared and asked if they wanted to see her room. Lexa smiled and immediately followed her. Ontari was the newest sibling, the last Indra would ever adopt, and even after being in the family for a year and a half, she still had a hard time accepting the fact that she was loved.

Anya had taken control of Ontari’s room, painting it a subtle grey and adorning the walls with shelves and a couple of swords she’d bought for her sister. Ontari’s love of martial arts was the way they’d connected as siblings. So Anya gave her a couple of the swords Indra had given to Anya after she was adopted.

Lastly came 16-year-old Luna’s room. The future marine biologist loved her bleached wood furniture and sandy-colored floors. The net Raven had fashioned into a hammock had the girl swearing her undying love for the engineer.

Once the rooms were explored and gushed over, Indra called them all to the living room. They marveled at their new things, already agreeing to share everything and to keep the fighting to a minimum. Clarke found herself pulled over to the section of the wall they’d turned into a chalkboard. She winked at Lexa before turning her attention to Aden’s rendition of a tree, offering a critique.

“She’s pretty wonderful,” Indra said from behind her.

“I know,” Lexa replied.

Arching a brow, Indra stepped up next to her daughter, “Are you going to tell her that?”

“I did,” Lexa admitted, blushing at the memories of the night before. “We talked about… things, last night.”

“And?”

Lexa’s small smile grew until she was grinning from ear to ear, “Now I have a girlfriend.”

“No transition period?” Indra laughed, resting her hand on Lexa’s shoulder and squeezing.

“Not needed,” Lexa responded confidently. She met Indra’s kind eyes and admitted, “I’m going to marry her. Nothing in this world could stop that from happening.”

Laughing again, Indra nodded. She looked around her beautiful designed home and sighed happily, “Well good. We could use another artist in the family.”

“I offered to pay her back for all of this. She said no of course,” Lexa said quietly, not wanting her younger siblings to overhear. Clarke was adamant she wanted no recognition for her gifts. “She spent over thirty grand here. Probably more than forty. She won’t give me a number. All she said was that it was less than her paintings are selling for right now. It took her one painting to do all of this! I asked if I could pay her back and she said no.”

“Why?” Indra asked.

“Because,” Clarke said from behind them. She slipped her hand into Lexa’s and smiled at her, “I told Lexa I had this one, she could worry about getting them through college. This was meant to be a gift to Lexa as much as it was to you all.”

“Merry Christmas,” Lexa whispered, leaning over to kiss Clarke’s temple.

She hummed and replied, “Merry Christmas, Lex.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	11. Unexpected Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven has an unexpected guest for the holidays. She and Anya don't get along. It isn't quite cats and dogs but it isn't a walk in the park. But they're snowed in and without their usual buffer of Clexa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: I know we hate each other but it’s Christmas eve and your flight was cancelled please come inside
> 
> AN: This one is late. I apologize but... work. Ugh.  
> Also, I'm going to try to get another one out before work in this afternoon but I can't make any promises!

Never in a million years had Anya ever thought she’d have to ask her for a favor. Not even in a hundred million. If she could, she’d avoid the woman like the plague. Unfortunately for Anya and her strong feelings of dislike towards Raven Reyes, the blizzard currently pounding the city didn’t seem to care.

As it was, she’d been standing outside the apartment building for five minutes, glaring at the call box. She knew she needed to hit the button. She knew she shouldn’t spend too much time outside when she could barely see three feet around her. She just couldn’t bring herself to actually reach forward.

Again, fate seemed to step in. Suddenly appearing beside her, Raven stopped just short of running into her.

“Anya?” Raven squeaked in surprise. She glanced around, like she was expecting to see someone else. “What are you doing?”

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Anya shook her head. Nope. She couldn’t do it. Gathering her suitcase and backpack, she started to head back into the snow.

A hand on her elbow stopped her.

“Come inside,” Raven insisted, not releasing her grip as she let them into the building.

Huffing and growling all the way up to Raven’s fifth floor apartment made Anya feel a little better. As long as she could hold off the questions she knew Raven would have for her, she was okay. So she glared and clenched her jaw and sighed. By the time they reached Raven’s apartment, Anya had nearly worked herself beyond annoyance and into anger. As if the storm was somehow Raven’s fault.

When they got to the door, Anya was shaking her head again. Raven sighed, hooking her hand through Anya’s arm to keep her still long enough for the door to be unlocked and open.

“Look,” Raven said, letting Anya go and stepping toward her apartment. She glanced around like she was expecting someone to pop up and declare this whole scenario was a prank. When no one appeared, she let out a little groan before speaking again, “I know we hate each other. I know you loath that I dare even breathe in the same city you live in. But there’s a blizzard raging outside. I’m guessing your flight got cancelled. So just come inside and ride out the worst of the storm here. It’s Christmas Eve anyway. You shouldn’t be alone.”

“You’re alone,” Anya snapped.

Smirking, Raven shrugged, “Yeah. I am. But I’m not the one who was meant to catch a plane ride across the country to join my sister and her girlfriend at some big family thing. I’m always alone on Christmas.”

There was no arguing with that. Anya knew Raven didn’t have much in the way of family. Clarke was the closet thing she had and she’d gone with Lexa to their annual Woods family Christmas extravaganza. Of course, Anya also knew Clarke and Lexa had invited Raven to join them. It was an invitation she’d turned down because she knew Anya would be there.

“I promise I’ll only talk to you about necessary things,” Raven said, like she was trying to bribe Anya into her apartment. “I have work to do anyway.”

“I’m only going inside because it’s dumb to go outside right now. My apartment is on the other side of the city,” Anya snapped, stepping inside.

Snorting out a laugh, Raven closed the door behind them, making sure to lock it again. She watched Anya disappear into the guest bedroom, stomping the entire way. Once she was alone, she sighed. The night just got a lot more interesting than the drafts she’d planned to look over and scotch she planned to drink alone. She pulled out her phone and sent off a message to Clarke.

 

**DaBombGirl: (2:23p)**

I found her. She was outside the

building when I got here.

**SkyGoddess: (2:25p)**

Thank you! Lex has been pacing

around the house like a caged tiger

for an hour! I’ll let her know!

**DaBombGirl: (2:25p)**

You and your girlfriend owe me.

I’m pretty sure she’s plotting my

death…

**SkyGoddess: (2:25p)**

She doesn’t hate you, Rae. I

promise!

**DaBombGirl: (2:26p)**

The glares and snarls would argue

against that…

 

A clearing throat had Raven sliding her phone back in her pocket, turning it on silent as she did so. She met Anya’s brown eyes and offered a small smile. It was met with a frown and narrowed eyes.

Okay.

Not going to make this easy.

“So…” Raven said slowly. “Why don’t you take a quick shower to warm up and I’ll get started on dinner? I was planning on making some stew.”

“I don’t need a shower,” Anya replied gruffly.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Raven tried to keep her irritation out of her voice, “Then change into something comfy. You’re not going to be able to leave any time soon. The storms meant to last through the night at the very least.”

“I don’t need to change either,” Anya snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued, “And if you think I’m letting you cook, you’re insane. Who knows what sort of havoc you’d bring down upon us.”

“I’ve been cooking since I was a kid. The alcoholic mother and druggie father pretty much forced me to learn,” Raven growled.

That had Anya stiffening. She knew about Raven’s childhood. Lexa had told her about it last year when she and Clarke were getting serious and they wanted to introduce their friends to each other.

“I’m sorry,” Anya said gently.

“Don’t want your pity,” Raven said. “I want to make it through this storm so you can get on your way to your Kodak moment family without either of us killing the other. Think we can manage that?”

Blinking at that, Anya shrugged, “I can only promise to try.”

“I’ll take it,” Raven replied.

****

The stew turned out to be the right call. It warmed them from the inside, settling them into a sort of food coma that had both of them mellowed in no time. As soon as they’d finished eating, Anya insisted on cleaning the kitchen. She was surprised when Raven hadn’t argued with her until she’d realized Raven had cleaned while she was cooking.

Somehow, that had Anya annoyed all over again. She stomped back to the living room, ready to tell Raven exactly what she was thinking only to find the other woman gone. Stopping in her tracks, Anya glanced around. The apartment wasn’t little, Raven’s salary as a… some sort of engineer, paid her well enough that she could afford a three bedroom apartment. If Raven wasn’t in the living room, she was either in her room or in the office.

It took Anya a minute or two to decide to check the office to make sure Raven hadn’t randomly decided to go to bed at 6:30 in the evening in an effort to avoid her. Just as she headed that way, Raven reappeared from her bedroom.

Again, Anya was stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t used to seeing Raven that soft looking. Her hair was out of its usual twisted sections and ponytail, pulled up into a messy bun instead. And she was wearing glasses. Since when did Raven wear glasses?

“Everything okay?” Raven asked, catching Anya staring at her.

“You cleaned the kitchen,” Anya replied, the usual bite her voice usually carried missing for once.

Raven shrugged, “I usually do. It’s a habit.”

“I can clean,” Anya pointed out.

“That’s a great skill to have,” Raven chuckled and headed into the kitchen. She reappeared moments later with a beer for Anya and a glass of scotch for herself. She took a small sip, “I have some plans to look over. Make yourself at home. I’d still recommend the shower and comfy clothing but that’s up to you. The remotes are in their usual spots for the TV and PS4.”

And then she was gone. Leaving Anya gaping after her.

****

They spent the rest of the night separate. Not that Anya minded of course. She and Raven had a tumultuous history and clashed more than often than they agreed on anything.

So she scrolled through her phone before leaving it to charge in the guest bedroom. Then she watched an episode of some random show on Netflix because it was in Raven’s queue. She was about to watch another when she heard Lexa’s notification tone sounding from her phone.

 

**LittleSis: (9:30p)**

You haven’t killed each other right?

Because Raven did us a favor and

went looking for you when we heard

about the blizzard and your flight

got cancelled.

**FFAnya: (9:30p)**

You sent her after me? And then

left me alone with her for hours?!

**LittleSis: (9:31p)**

She told Clarke you guys were

okay. But its been radio silence

since…

**FFAnya: (9:32p)**

I haven’t killed her

**FFAnya: (9:32p)**

She’s been too busy avoiding me

**LittleSis: (9:33p)**

Maybe she thinks you want her to

keep away from you…

**FFAnya: (9:34p)**

Oh yeah…

**FFAnya: (9:34p)**

This is all on me

**FFAnya: (9:34p)**

I forgot

**LittleSis: (9:36p)**

I didn’t say that! I just meant that

you snap at her all the time. Can

you blame her for thinking you

hate her?

**FFAnya: (9:36p)**

I don’t though. I just don’t get her.

**LittleSis: (9:37p)**

Like I’ve been telling you since

that night, you won’t get her until

you talk to her.

 

“Everything okay?” Raven asked from behind Anya.

“What?” Anya jumped, startled.

Raven stifled a giggle, “Sorry. I was just getting some water and I heard you sighing at your phone. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” Anya snapped. Noticing Raven stiffening, she cleared her throat and added, “Lexa was just giving me a hard time. Nothing new.”

“Right…” Raven said slowly. “Well, I’ll be heading to bed soon. If you need anything, let me know.”

She was gone before Anya could reply.

****

At 2:32 in the morning, according to her phone, Anya woke up from a dead sleep. She wasn’t sure while until another body wracking body surged through her. A deep breath told her then what had forced her out of her dream.

The heat had gone out.

She slid out from beneath the blankets and padded over to the window. Pulling up the blinds, she gasped when she saw the city was completely dark. There were more stars in the sky than she’d ever seen!

Another shiver had her teeth chattering. Even in the darkness, she knew her breath was probably visible.

“Anya?” Raven’s voice came through the door just before she knocked.

“Yes?” Anya called back.

The door opened slightly, Raven’s eyes immediately finding her by the window. She smiled and waved for Anya to follow her. She did so without argument.

When they stepped into Raven’s room, Anya gasped. It was warm!

“How?” Anya asked, already feeling her muscles relaxing.

“I built a small solar generator last year. I finished a new power core today though. I wasn’t sure it would work until now though. I woke up shivering hard enough to shake my bed. Since that isn’t the way I prefer for my bed to bang against the wall, I figured now was a good time to get it working. Then I remembered you were here too. So… Slumber party?”

For the first time ever in Raven’s presence, Anya threw her head back and laughed. Of course the genius would build a heater.

“A slumber party doesn’t sound all that bad,” Anya replied. She glanced at the large bed, “Think we can share that?”

Raven nodded, her eyes falling to the floor, “I’m sure we can manage.”

****

It was only a few hours later when Raven woke up for the day. Her body never really let her sleep past 6:30 in the morning. It was a habit she hated at times. That morning though… it meant she got to wake up to a sleeping Anya. A sleeping Anya who was cuddled into her back, one arm under Raven’s head, their hands linked underneath the pillow, and the other over Raven’s waist, her hand splayed out against her stomach and holding her close.

Smiling like a schoolgirl talking to her first crush, Raven turned her face into her pillow. She stayed as still as possible, not wanting to ruin the moment. After a minute or two though, she couldn’t resist grabbing her phone and snapping a series of pictures to remember the moment after Anya woke up and starting growling and snapping again.

“Merry Christmas,” Anya yawned. Then she stiffened. She could feel every inch of Raven’s back pressed against her. And her hand was definitely pressed against some very defined muscles on Raven’s stomach.

“Good morning,” came Raven’s response.

After a moment, Anya moved back just a little, to give them both space. A hiss of protest left Raven’s mouth when cold air hit her back. Before she could stop herself, Anya rubbed her hand up and down her back, soothing away the shock.

“Merry Christmas, Anya,” Raven finally said, just as Anya was lulling her back to sleep.

“I’ll go make breakfast,” Anya offered, carefully sliding from the blankets. Her feet met the floor, shocking her with cold. Then she stretched and groaned. She hadn’t slept that well in a very long time. Not that she’d ever tell Raven that.

It only took her a minute or two to realize the power was back on, at least in Raven’s building. The fridge was just fine, not even the milk had spoiled.

While she waited for Raven to make her appearance, she whipped up some waffles and bacon. The toast was just popping up when the other woman finally appeared. Without a word, she grabbed the strawberry jam and knife and got to work right next to Anya.

They ate at the table in silence. It wasn’t nearly as heavy as it usually was though. They usually threw glares at each other and sat stiffly in their seats. Instead, it was shy glances and slouches.

“So…” Raven said slowly after they’d both finished. “What are you going to do?”

“When?” Anya asked.

Rolling her eyes, “With the rest of your life. No… Today? Are you going to try to make it to wherever you were going?”

“Oh, no. There’s no point. By the time any planes would land out there, all the people responsible enough to drive will either be napping or drunk,” Anya shook her head. She glanced out the windows, “I suppose f the snow is done I’ll see if I can make it home. I might have to leave my suitcase here though. I don’t want to carry that through two feet of snow.”

“That’s fine,” Raven nodded. She didn’t like the sinking feeling in her chest. “You could stay here? Until the sidewalks and roads are clear. It isn’t like Lexa is going to be waiting for you at home.”

Shaking her head, Anya insisted, “I don’t want to impose!”

****

It was just passed noon when Anya decided to venture out. She packed her essentials in her backpack and borrowed an actual winter coat, a sweater, and a scarf from Raven. Then she was gone. Raven tossed her laundry in her hamper, making a mental note to get it back to her as soon as possible. And then she did what she always does on Christmas.

Pizza and _The Mummy_.

She’d started the tradition when she was child, the first year she’d been left on her own for Christmas. _The Mummy_ was the only DVD she could find and cold pizza was all she had to eat. It was also the first year she could remember where one of her parents was screaming at the other. It was her first peaceful Christmas.

She’d just finished the first movie when there was a pounding on her door. She tossed down the piece of pizza she’d been holding and wiped her hands on her sweatpants.

“Anya?” She squeaked when she opened the door.

There she was. The last person she thought she’d see that day. Anya had been in a rather big hurry to leave after breakfast. Even if she took the time to shower and dry her hair. Then gone through her suitcase for the things she absolutely needed. And asked to borrow a coat from Raven because she was worried hers wouldn’t be warm enough.

Yes. There she was. And she looked… angry?

“What did I do now?” Raven sighed. She leaned the side of her head against the door and waited for the tirade.

Anya’s response was silence. For a solid minute, she just glared down at the woman in front of her. Then, as if she was moving in slow motion, she lifted her hand.

Before she even saw what was in Anya’s hand, Raven was gasping. She recognized the coat. It was the one she wore when she’d dropped Lexa and Clarke off at the airport. And in the pocket of it… oh no!

There it was. The envelope. The one with Anya’s name written on it. How could she have forgotten it?

“I can explain?” Raven whispered.

“Really? You can explain why I’ve thought you hated me for the last year?” Anya snapped. She didn’t even wait for a response, she just stepped around Raven and into the apartment. She yanked off the borrowed coat and tossed it on a nearby chair. “You can explain why, at every single gathering we’ve been to together, you’ve snapped and growled and mocked and glared? And then, after all of that, I find this?”

She held up the envelope again. It’d been opened.

Raven groaned and covered her face with her hands. She said something but Anya could hear her.

“Please,” Anya said quietly. “Please explain how you could do all of that and then write this to me?”

After a minute or two, Raven took a deep breath and nodded. She could do that. She’d meant to give the letter to Clarke to give to Anya. It was the coward’s way. And when she’d started to bring it up to Clarke, she felt like she was in middle school again and chose against it. She’d stuffed the envelope in her pocket and forgotten about it.

“You read it?” Raven asked.

“I did.”

She nodded then, and moved toward the couch, unexpectedly reaching out to catch Anya’s hand and pulled her along. Once they were settled, Raven turned sideways on the couch and folded her legs under her. She studied Anya’s face before she spoke, hoping for some clues to the emotions under the stoic mask.

“I meant what I said in that letter,” Raven said softly.

“What?”

She sighed and shrugged, “Writing it down was easier than saying it to you. I mean… you’re always so quick to anger when it comes to me. I know I made a mistake last year. I know I did. But I didn’t know that’d mean you’d end up hating me.”

“A mistake?” Anya repeated, incredulous at the description Raven assigned to the incident that had set them on the path to snarls and glowering.

“I didn’t know that woman was your ex-girlfriend. You said you weren’t into labels, that you just knew you were into me! And then she started dancing on me and then she kissed me,” Raven sighed and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her palms, trying to ward off the burning tears she felt coming on. “I pushed her away. You know I did. You saw me! But would you even let me explain? No! You just spat those ugly words at me and left. So I gave you a few days to calm down and I tried then. But the Anya I met that day in the coffee shop… I didn’t know her.”

Shaking her head, Anya bit out, “Don’t blame me for this last year. It wasn’t all me!”

“That isn’t what I meant!”

“We’d just gone on our first date the night before, Raven! And less than a day later I see you at the club with Clarke and my ex is all over you? What was I meant to think?”

Groaning, Raven shrugged, “Maybe that I was at a club with my best friends and we were celebrating the best first date I’d ever been on? And that, as a passably attractive woman, some other woman was likely to try to dance with me when Clarke and Octavia went to get drinks.”

“Really?” Anya snorted. “You want me to compliment you right now? Passably attractive?”

“I want you to understand that I really liked you. So much. And that you just cutting me off like that, without letting me explain what actually happened hurt me,” Raven replied, her hands tangling in her lap. “I want you to know that my actions this last year haven’t come from a place of hate. I was just reacting to you.”

Rolling her eyes, Anya tried to stand up. She hissed out a breath when Raven’s hand caught her wrist. She sat again, nearly falling on Raven. “You’re saying this is my fault?”

“I’m saying we’re both to blame!” Raven growled.

“How?”

“You’re to blame because you came after me. You said over and over again that you wanted me. That you’d put aside your player ways if it meant having a chance to be with me. You wanted me and I finally agreed to a date,” Raven responded, sliding her hand down to Anya’s and holding tightly. She tried to keep her eyes on Anya’s too, but there was too much to see there. It scared her. “And then we go on this date and it is better than anything I’d ever dreamed of. And you’re perfectly respectful. I barely got a kiss goodnight! From you! I was on cloud nine. But then, it was all gone. You built up this idea in my head and then you saw something you read the wrong way and you were gone. And you blamed me for it.”

Swallowing thickly, Anya nodded. That was all true. She knew it was. But Raven hadn’t been warm and fuzzy for the last year. She’d been just as angry, just as annoyed. “It wasn’t all me.”

“No,” Raven replied. “It wasn’t. I allowed my frustration to get the better of me. And I’m sorry for that. I thought maybe if I acted angry and over it all, I’d get there someday.”

“And have you?” Anya asked after a beat of silence. She reached up and pressed the forefinger of her free hand against Raven’s chin, tipping it back so their eyes could meet. “Have you gotten over all of it? Over me?”

Laughter was the last thing Anya expected. But there Raven was, laughing. She shook her head, “Does it look like I have. Did you read that letter?”

“I did,” Anya admitted. “Three times. I thought it might be a cruel joke.”

“I meant it all. Every single word. I rewrote it five times just to get it right.”

Smirking at the thought of Raven Reyes bent over her table, rewriting a love letter, Anya felt her chest swell with pride. Then she blushed. It was for her. The letter, the confession, the feelings. All for her.

“And you meant it?”

Raven nodded, “Every last word.”

Anya leaned back on the couch and stared at her for a while. Raven was content enough to allow the silence. She was happy to still be holding Anya’s hand, even if it was just because she hadn’t realized they were still connected.

“Raven?” Anya finally spoke.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know what would make this the best Christmas ever?” Anya asked.

Blinking owlishly, Raven shook her head, “I have no clue.”

“If you agree that this last year was a horrible mistake that we should never repeat,” Anya told her. Then she allowed that rare full smile that Raven had only ever seen once before, “And if you’ll agree to another date with me. Tonight.”

“Tonight?” Raven repeated.

Shifting closer, Anya nodded, “yes. I don’t think I can wait any longer for our second first date. And this way, we’re more likely to find some mistletoe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: There should be another one out sometime before 1500 EST on 11 Dec. Keep your eyes out!


	12. Merry Christmas, Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lexa haven't been able to celebrate Christmas together for the last two years. Neither one of them is willing to miss another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Clarke Griffin is the lead singer of the band Arkadia and Lexa Woods is a fashion model. Career commitments have made them miss the last two Christmases together. This year, no matter what, they will be home together for the holidays.
> 
>  
> 
> [Based on this awesomeness!!](https://reallygroovyninja.tumblr.com/post/168373029226/ill-be-home-for-christmas-clarke-griffin-is-the)
> 
>  
> 
> AN: I know... I know... I'm behind!! I'll be catching up today though!! There'll be at least one more out today. Keep your eyes out!!

The rush of excitement most people feel around the holidays had never hit Clarke Griffin quite so hard. She’d just finished the last show of year with her band, Arkadia, and was now free! At least until two weeks after the start of the New Year, then it was back to the tour bus and singing to thousands of people every night.

Now though. Now she was free and she had a plane to catch. And nothing and no one would stop her from being on that plane.

She hurried around the hotel room she’d somehow managed to throw her clothing all over in less than a day, packing her suitcase in a way she knew she’d get at least three eye rolls for when it was seen by the one waiting for her.

Lexa. Her wife had been home for a day. A day spent in the quaint little house they’d bought all those years ago when they’d only dreamed of fame and fortune. Sure, they’d updated and added an addition along the way but it was still their little dream house. And Lexa was there, waiting for her.

Just as she finished zipping up the bulging suitcase, a knock drew her attention. Just barely biting back a growl, she stomped over yanked the door open.

“What?”

It was her agent, Diana Sydney, “Hey, Clarke!”

“Whatever you’re about to tell me, the answer is no,” Clarke responded, already closing the door.

“Just wait until you hear what I have to say!” Diana insisted, thrusting her foot out and holding the door open. She leaned into the room, wedging her narrow shoulder inside, slowly pushing Clarke back, “You’ll want to hear this!”

Shaking her head, Clarke turned back to her bags. She pulled her backpack on and threw her purse over her shoulder before grabbing the handle to her suitcase. Without responding to anything Diana had said, she started to leave the room.

“You need to listen! The rest of the band already agreed,” Diana said firmly, her tone taking on that mother-like tone she despised.

“Oh really?” Clarke replied slowly, turning on her heel to face her. She arched a brow and smiled smugly, like she knew she had an ace up her sleeve. She released her grip on her suitcase and took a single step toward her manager, “You’re really going to try telling me you went to the others before you came to me? As if you’d ever do that.”

Diana didn’t even acknowledge Clarke’s skepticism, she grinned down at her and said, “They want you on Rockin’ New Years Eve!”

“What?” Clarke’s jaw dropped. That was definitely news.

While Arkadia was hitting its stride and gaining more and more fans, they hadn’t been invited to many prime-time shows. They’re music was a little too difficult to categorize for most people so they were often overlooked. Being invited to a nationally televised show like that could mean big things for them.

“You heard me. Rockin’ News Years Eve. You and the band!” Diana clapped her hands softly and tittered, clearly excited at the prospect of managing one of the hottest bands around.

Before her bubble grew too big though, Clarke burst it. She shook her head, “No.”

“What? What do you mean no?”

“I mean no. I’m not doing it. Lexa and I – ”

Tsking and wrapping an arm around Clarke’s shoulders, Diana turned her around and walked her to the balcony of her hotel room, “This isn’t something you say no to, Clarke. You were invited to sing on one of the most popular television spectacles of the year. You say yes to things like that.”

“I don’t,” Clarke replied, shaking her off. “I have plans and I’m keeping them.”

“Oh no you are not!” Diana hissed and caught her wrist, whirling her back around when she tried to walk away. “I have worked too hard for you to leave me hanging out to dry!”

Snorting and rolling her eyes was all the response Clarke offered. She gathered her bags and left the hotel room. She had a plane to catch.

****

**_Meanwhile, in Tondisi_ **

“What do you mean you don’t have a turkey?” Lexa asked the man at the grocery store.

“Like I said before, it’s Christmas Eve,” the man shrugged and tried to bite back a sigh. He wasn’t wholly successful. “What we have on display is what we have in stock.”

Lexa’s jaw clenched as she stared the man down. He wasn’t being totally truthful, she knew he wasn’t. His eyes were darting around and he kept wiping his hands on his jeans.

“Is there a problem?” Another voice entered the conversation.

A grin grew as Lexa turned. She beamed up at the giant of a man, “Gustus!”

Opening his arms, Gustus laughed when she jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck. He held her in a bear hug for a moment or two, squeezing her a couple of times for good measure, “Hello, Lexa! I heard we had some famous person walking around town. Figured it was you or the wife.”

“Clarke should be home in a few hours,” Lexa explained when he finally lowered her to the ground again. She glanced back at the slightly pale looking worker, “He says they haven’t got anymore turkeys in stock. I want to make Clarke a Christmas dinner like my Nan used to make.”

“No more…” Gustus glared at the young man. “There’s plenty in back. What young Petey here meant was that he’s off in about 2 minutes and doesn’t want to go back into the freezer to get anything because he hates being cold.”

As if there was some sort of code hidden in Gustus’ words, Petey yelped out a quick, “yes sir!” and disappeared. Just minutes later he reappeared with a big turkey in his hands and a bashful smile on his face.

“Thank you,” Lexa said, maneuvering her cart so he could lower the frozen bird into it.

“Do you think I could – ” the young man started to ask her something, holding a magazine and a permanent marker out.

Growling, Gustus cuffed him on the back of his head, “That’s my goddaughter! You cannot!”

Lexa tried to hold back her laughs when Petey apologized and scurried away, she really did. She wasn’t entirely successful of course. She did thank Gustus for rescuing her Christmas dinner plans though.

“I live to help you,” Gustus replied, kissing the top of her head. He glanced in her cart, noticing she really hadn’t started shopping yet. He chuckled, “If you’re planning a feast like Anna Woods used to whip up, you better get o shopping. Do you girls need anything else while you’re home?”

“No, I think we’re set,” Lexa replied, glancing down at the cart too and taking mental notes on what else she needed to get.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gustus said, “I noticed you haven’t got any decorations up. Not even a tree.”

“The tree will be up though. As soon as Clarke gets here tonight we’ll put it up together,” Lexa explained. She smiled at the thought of having a tree in the house again. “I’ve already picked out the one I want and Old Man Bartley is bringing it over and setting it up for us while we’re on our way home from the airport. I have all the bases covered. Tree tonight, presents in the morning, lunch with our parents, dinner at home.”

****

**_At that very moment in NYC_ **

“Ladies and gentleman and other guests,” a voice spoke over the loudspeaker, “this is your captain speaking. We’ve received a couple of messages in the last few minutes. The first is our last first class passenger has finally seen fit to arrive at the airport but hasn’t made it through security yet. The second is there is a storm approaching the DC area so we need to leave soon in order to be able to land safely.”

A collective groan sounded through the plane. The fully loaded 747 was full of people ready to get on their way to friends and family and long awaited vacations.

“My co-pilot and I feel the same. So we’ll be taxi-ing for take off in a minute or two and taking off. Since our last passenger was just released from an in-patient anger-management program for throwing a phone and laptop at her assistant, I’m sure she’ll deal with the disappointment of the missed flight just fine,” The pilot joked before thanking them for being patient and clicking the microphone off.

**Wells: (2:32p)  
** Are you on my plane?!

 **Clarke: (2:32p)  
** I thought that was your voice!

 **Clarke: (2:33p)**  
Please hurry up and get me  
home to Lexa?

 **Wells: (2:34p)**  
I’ll do what I can. The tower is  
trying to convince me and Monty  
to wait.

 **Wells: (2:34p)**  
But the tower doesn’t have  
Roma waiting for them at home!  
Or a Harper!

 **Clarke: (2:34p)**  
Tell them I’ll have Lexa Woods  
send them an autographed poster!

 **Clarke: (2:35p)**  
And I’ll have Lex personally  
apologize to … our mystery flier  
and the fashion designer she’s  
meant to walk for in a couple of  
days…

****

**_An hour later_ **

Pacing had never been something Lexa noticed she was doing. It was a nervous habit. Something about her though made the annoyed people in the baggage claim area move out of her way. She’d walk one way, stare up at the arrivals screens like they held the answer to all her questions, then she’d walk the other way and do the same thing.

Suddenly though, she froze in the middle of one of her circuits. The air had shifted. She knew what that charged feeling meant. She whirled around and craned her neck, trying to see through the crowd that had gathered around her.

There were people coming down the ramp from the terminal. Lexa could see that easily enough. But where was…

Clarke!

Lexa took off at a run, barely dancing to the side to avoid knocking over a little girl. She sprinted and jumped, landing against Clarke and immediately hugging her tight. Her arms were like constrictors around her neck, her legs around her hips.

Laughter rang in Lexa’s ears. She hadn’t heard those laughs in person in nearly three months. Between Clarke’s tour and Lexa’s fashion shoots and shows, they hardly found time to spend together. But now, now she had her Clarke in her arms!

“Hey, baby,” Clarke whispered, her hands splayed out on Lexa’s back, one between her shoulder blades and the other lower, her pinkie and ring fingers dipped into the back of her pants. She grinned up at her beautiful wife. Then her vision blurred and a small sob sounded at the back of her throat.

“Hey! No!” Shaking her head, Lexa cupped her face and wiped at the tears. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

Not knowing how else to respond, Clarke nodded. She turned her face into Lexa’s palm and kissed it. Then she did the same to the other.

“Guys?”

Both women jumped at the newest voice. They turned their heads in unison, finding Lincoln standing there with Octavia, Raven, and Anya.

“Not to interrupt, but the phones are coming out and that… that might not be good,” Lincoln whispered.

They blushed. It was with great reluctance that Clarke allowed Lexa to separate from her. Even then, her hand stayed in Lexa’s back pocket while they walked side by side to the carousel.

While waiting for their suitcases Octavia and Raven, the other two members of Arkadia, filled their significant others in on the newest developments for the band. That included the invitation for Rockin’ New Years Eve.

“You can’t turn that down,” Lexa whispered into Clarke’s ear before pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

“Diana shouldn’t have waited until today to tell me,” Clarke replied. She wasn’t upset about missing the opportunity, not really. She’d never have forgiven herself if she said yes and missed out of time with her wife.

Studying her profile, Lexa sighed. She knew that look. That meant Clarke was sure she was right and everyone else was clearly missing the point.

“Lex?” Clarke met her eye. She winked and gave her a soft kiss, “I’m not upset about missing it. If they really wanted us, they’d have asked months ago. We’d have been a filler between two other bands for a song or two. I’d rather spend my New Years with you and our friends.”

“You’re sure?” Lexa asked.

“Remember what we agreed on when we both got signed?” Clarke responded with a smile.

That day was clear in Lexa’s mind. They’d promised to not hold the other’s career against them. If one of them had a career-altering opportunity, they were allowed to take it without the other getting upset. The only exception was their anniversary. They had to spend their anniversary together. Other than that, they’d agreed, at least for now, they would schedule time to see each other once every couple of months for at least a week. Neither one of them liked it, in fact they hated it. But they hadn’t been in a position to do otherwise back then.

****

**_2 hours later_ **

Nothing made them as happy as being back in their sleepy little hometown. Together in their house. They’d waved at old friends and neighbors, honked and smiled at kids who only knew about them as town legends.

According to Clarke, their first order of business once they got home was getting laundry going. Lexa had laughed when Clarke insisted on sorting through all their bags and getting that chore out of the way.

“Stop laughing!” She whined as she tossed another of Lexa’s tank tops on the color pile. She balled up another and threw it in Lexa’s face.

“I just figured we’d be doing something else as soon as we reunited for the first time in months,” Lexa shrugged, placing the tank top on the white pile and grinning when Clarke huffed before reaching over to move it to the colors. She moved a black shirt to the colors and snorted when Clarke glared up at her before fixing that too. “Baby, it’s been months.”

Clarke nodded, “I know.”

“And we have three whole weeks,” Lexa added. She reached down to catch both of Clarke’s hands. When she didn’t really resist, she tugged until she stood up. “Three whole weeks to do this laundry. It can wait a day or two, right?”

“But if we – ”

“Three months, Clarke,” Lexa repeated. She held Clarke’s hands and started to walk backward, out of the laundry room and across the living room. As she pulled her wife closer to their bedroom, she kept talking, “Three months of me having to pretend my fingers were yours. Three months of thinking about your voice when I couldn’t get you on the phone just to get myself off. Three months of watching you get yourself off through a screen and wanting more than anything to be there next to you.”

Groaning, Clarke pulled on Lexa’s hands, using that to propel herself forward and into her wife’s arms. Her fingers carded through Lexa’s brown locks as their lips fused together.

That was exactly what felt like home. The way their bodies fit together. The way Lexa’s lips were soft against her own. The way it seemed like all of Clarke’s curves were made for Lexa’s hands to hold onto.

“Bed. Now,” Clarke murmured against those pouty lips.

“Bossy,” Lexa replied before bending down and hooking her arms around Clarke’s thighs, lifting her until those legs were locked around her.

She turned on her heel and marched to the bed. They’d tested nearly every bed they could find, wanting to get one that was exactly the right height. The looks the workers gave them when Lexa lifted Clarke onto each and every bed, moving to stand between her legs, smiling at her before giving her a soft kiss and whispering in her ear. The one they’d settled on was the perfect height for them.

Settling her wife on the edge of the bed, Lexa started working on the buttons of Clarke’s shirt. When she fumbled and broke away to glare at her fingers, Clarke laughed.

“Need some help, stud?”

“Three months,” Lexa bit out. Then she leaned in and nipped at Clarke’s lips, gripped the sides of her shirts and tugging.

The sound of tearing fabric and buttons scattering had Clarke pulling out of the kiss, “Lexa Woods! This was my favorite shirt!”

“It was my shirt,” Lexa replied, kissing down her throat before settling at her pulse point. She nipped and sucked, fighting the grin all those sweet noises from Clarke caused.

“I know,” Clarke said breathily. “It was my favorite among the ones I stole.”

Letting go of her neck with a pop, Lexa smirked at the already blossoming bruise she could see there. She held her hands over her head and winked at her wife.

Snorting out a laugh, Clarke tugged her t-shirt up, sighing when she saw those sculpted abs she adored. Running just the tips of her fingers across them, she smiled when they danced under her touch, “I’ve missed these. You don’t share them with me enough.”

Rolling her eyes, Lexa palmed at Clarke’s breasts, “I share them as often as you let me see my best friends.”

“Believe me, they missed you as much as you’ve missed them,” Clarke teased before reaching behind herself to unhook her bra. Her wife’s look of awe would never get old. She’d seen it for the first time when they were just high school sophomores, 16 and in love. It was the same every time. A moment of pure adoration followed by a swallow and a blink or two and then… there they were. The green eyes Clarke had fallen for nearly 10 years before.

“I love you,” Lexa whispered, dipping her head to kiss her again, nipping at her lips, tracing them with her tongue. Her hands lifted until they were cupping Clarke’s breasts, her thumbs just glancing over hardened nipples.

“They love you too,” Clarke replied when Lexa moved to take her own bra off. At her glare, Clarke winked, “Not as much as I do, Lexa Griffin-Woods.”

And that was the last they spoke for a while.

****

They emerged from their bedroom hours later, only because their stomachs had insisted. Clarke opted to hop in the shower first, leading to her wife following, and their bellies growling even louder.

“It’s 9:30 on Christmas Eve,” Lexa pointed out. She yawned and stretched, smirking at the way Clarke’s eyes dropped to that sliver of skin showing between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her underwear. “What are the chances we could get a pizza delivered?”

Licking her lips, Clarke took a moment to answer. She’d glimpsed one of the many love bites she’d left on Lexa’s torso while she stretched. It had her mind running straight back to the bedroom. Only Lexa’s throat clearing had her blinking away the lusty fog.

“What?”

“Pizza?”

Shaking her head, Clarke responded, “It’s Christmas Eve, love. No one is open.”

“Mac and cheese?”

Moving to the fridge, Clarke surveyed the supplies. She smiled when she saw the ingredients for one of her favorites, “How about ham and cheese omelets?”

“You cook and I clean?” Lexa asked, snaking her arms around her from behind and nibbling at her ear.

“You keep doing that and we won’t be eating any time soon,” Clarke husked, turning in her arms and smiling.

“Turns out I don’t like going three months without you in my arms,” Lexa replied with a shrug, “Who knew?”

All Clarke could do was nod. She’d hated it too. But Lexa’s career was soaring and her own was heating up. There was talk of a European leg of the tour if their shows continued to be so successful. Giving Lexa one last kiss, she turned and gathered what she needed, setting about making them some food at last.

She’d forgotten how distracting Lexa could be though. Even with Lexa in the living room, wrapping lights around the tree, followed by the garland, Clarke couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting toward her. She’d mixed the ingredients, then watch Lexa. Pour the eggs into the pan, then watch Lexa. Poke at the eggs to make sure they weren’t burning, then watch Lexa. It was a wonder the omelets turned out to be edible at all.

They ate at their table, sitting right next to each other. Clarke’s right hand resting high on Lexa’s thigh, her thumb rubbing back and forth. Lexa’s left was at the back of her neck, scratching and playing with the little baby hairs she found there.

They talked about all their adventures. They’d already heard the stories of course, their twice daily phone calls and constant texting kept them up-to-date on everything, but being together and talking about them made it all seem new. Lexa pouted at Clarke’s trip to the Grand Canyon, a place she’d always wanted to go. Clarke sighed repeatedly when Lexa talked about visiting Ireland’s west coast.

Their omelets were growing cold by the time they actually got around to finishing them. While Lexa cleaned up quickly, Clarke pulled out the ornaments and turned on her Christmas playlist. She smiled softly when Lexa ran to their room quickly to grabbed sweatpants for them both.

“We both know one of us will end up taking pictures,” Lexa explained. She laughed at Clarke’s pout when her legs disappeared from sight behind the fabric, “Let’s not give your fans anything more to hate me over.”

Begrudgingly, Clarke pulled on her own sweats. She hated wearing pants some days and apparently the first day she was reunited with her wife after months apart was one of those days. She huffed one too many times though so Lexa pulled her into a tight embrace and swayed with her in time with the song playing through the speakers.

Three and a half songs later, Clarke pulled away from her, breathless from their latest make-out session. She shook her head and held a hand out to keep Lexa back. That took a great deal of will power. Lexa’s hair was mussed from her hands and her lips were beautifully swollen from kisses.

“Tree,” Clarke croaked. She cleared her throat and said it again, “Tree. First the tree, then bed.”

“Bed then tree,” Lexa countered.

Shaking her head, Clarke stepped back when Lexa stepped forward, “Baby, I want to wake up to a pretty tree and presents. Not work.”

Lexa nodded, she understood that. But Clarke’s lips were practically calling for her. And the fact that Lexa could see Clarke’s nipples just under her shirt, without a bra to conceal them, was driving her crazy.

“Okay,” Lexa agreed. She stepped toward the couch where they’d placed the ornament boxes. She handed one to Clarke, then leaned in to kiss her cheek, “Merry Christmas, I love you.”

Clarke’s hand came up to cup her cheek, pulling her in for one last soft kiss, “I love you.”

****

The next morning, Clarke remembered why she hated alarm clocks. They were on vacation! Why even bother setting an alarm?

“Go back to sleep, baby,” Lexa whispered, kissing the back of her bare shoulder. “I just have to get the turkey in the oven.”

Clarke was out again before she even made it through the door.

When the next alarm went off, Clarke was already awake. She was sitting in bed with Lexa’s head in her lap and Lexa’s arms around her. She was reading on her phone and playing with Lexa’s hair.

“Turn it off,” her wife whined. “No more turkey.”

“That one isn’t for the turkey, it’s for you,” Clarke replied. She locked her phone and placed it on nightstand. “We have to get up if we want to make it to Mom’s house for lunch. You know she and your mother will give us grief if we’re late.”

Rolling over with a groan, Lexa stretched. Then she grimaced. “I forgot how sore you can make me.”

“Means I’m doing it right,” Clarke winked and leaned down to kiss her. Then she sat up quickly, “None of that! You have fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed in an outfit that will cover up your hickeys. Then we’re opening presents!”

“Kiss!” Lexa begged, puckering her lips.

“One more, then you shower!” Clarke said, giving her a quick peck and diving out of her reach.

Laughing, Lexa threw a pillow at her, “tease!”

“Merry Christmas,” Clarke replied as she ran from their room. “I love you!”

****

To say that Clarke was excited about Christmas was an understatement. She’d always loved it. And now, she was with Lexa again after missing the last two Christmases with her. She was bouncing on the couch when Lexa came out of their room.

“I honestly don’t think you could have left any more hickeys on me if you’d tried,” Lexa huffed, adjusting the collar of her black button down shirt.

“That’s just it,” Clarke winked at her, “I was trying. You started it.”

Accepting the truth, Lexa shrugged, “I’m not sorry.”

“I know. And that’s why I love you. Can we open gifts now?”

Strolling to the tree leisurely, Lexa grabbed the envelope she’d placed front and center. She moved it to the mantle over the fireplace, “That one is last. This one first.”

She handed Clarke a small box. She unwrapped it quickly and smiled at the black velvet she found underneath. Popping it open, she gasped.

“Lex,” She looked up and smiled.

“I never gave you an engagement ring. We couldn’t afford it,” Lexa swallowed thickly as she took the princess cut solitaire from the box and knelt in front of her wife. “So, Clarke Griffin-Woods, want to marry me again?”

All she could do was nod. Words completely escaped Clarke. She smiled when Lexa slid the ring onto her finger, and let a small sob break free when she kissed the ring.

“I love you,” Lexa whispered when she lifted her head again.

Handing her the small box she’d been hiding, Clarke replied, “I love you too.”

Eyes filling with tears, Lexa carefully slid her finger under the tape on the wrapping paper, careful to not rip it too much. She ran her fingers over the velvet and opened the box. A simple band with diamonds embedded in it, just her style.

“Great minds think alike,” Clarke whispered. She moved until she was on her knees in front of her still kneeling wife, “So do you think you want to marry me again too?”

“Of course!” Lexa said as she nodded, letting Clarke slide the ring into place. “I love you so much, Clarke!”

The rest of their gifts were simple enough. A new set of the fancy picks she loved, some lined music sheets, an old school GameBoy Color with her favorite games, and a new hoodie from Lexa’s one-time-dream college for Clarke. A Hufflepuff hoodie, a new copy of Pride and Prejudice (since the old one was stolen in Barcelona), a travel-sized lap quilt made from Clarke’s old rugby t-shirts, and a new controller for her PlayStation 4 for Lexa.

“You have one more gift,” Lexa reminded Clarke as she moved to grab the envelope. She tapped it against her palm before smiling shyly and handing it to her.

Clarke opened the brightly colored envelope. Confusion passed over her face when she found a regular envelope inside. Glancing at Lexa and getting a nod of encouragement, she opened that one too. She read the paper inside and gasped.

“What is this?”

Lexa shrugged, trying to hide her pride, “I always told you I wanted to go to college. I applied to Polis on a whim.”

“And you got in!” Clarke stood and jumped up and down. “My baby got in!”

“I did!” Lexa caught her in a hug and they bounced around the living room.

When they separated, Clarke sank back onto the couch, “What about modeling?”

“I’m going to retire. Or… I am retired,” Lexa shrugged. She sat next to her wife and took Clarke’s hands in her own. “We have more money than we need. I want to go to school. So I’m going. Are you okay with that?”

“It means only having to worry about making my schedule work for me to come home to you instead of both of us jumping through hoops. And you get to do what you’ve always wanted,” Clarke was already nodding as she spoke. She was all for it. “Chase your dreams, baby. I’ll be right there with you even if I can't be physically with you. I’m so proud of you!”

Lexa grinned and ducked her head. Clarke could just see the blush creeping on her cheeks. “Clarke, that’s the thing. I’m going to be able to do most of my bachelor’s online…”

“So you can go with me?” Clarke asked.

“I can.”

They were both grinning like fools. Then Lexa’s hands came up to cup Clarke’s face and Clarke’s wrapped around her wrists. Their lips met and molded together, tongues came out of trace and tease. Lexa shifted back, tilting her head tot eh side, brushing the tip of her nose against Clarke’s, bringing a small smile to both of their faces. Then she kissed her again.

When they separated, their forehead pressed together as they breathed in the same came. Their eyes met, tears formed. Thumbs slowly wiped those away. Then heads turned to kiss palms and they lost themselves in each other once more.

An hour later, Abby Griffin was banging on the front door, calling for her daughter and daughter-in-law. It took just long enough for them to reach the door for Abby to roll her eyes.

“You’re not in high school anymore girls,” Abby said. She winked at Lexa before turning to Clarke, “You have a half an hour before lunch is ready.”

She turned and marched back to her car, waving before she got in and drove away.

“Do you think she saw the hickeys?” Lexa asked, horrified by the thought.

“Who cares?” Clarke replied. She wrapped her around Lexa’s waist and held tight, “My wife is a college babe and she gets to go on tour with me!”

Lexa rested her forehead against Clarke’s again, “Merry Christmas, love.”

Clarke smiled and pecked at her lips again, “Best Christmas ever! I love you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
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> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
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> AN: I know... I know... I'm behind!! I'll be catching up today though!! There'll be at least one more out today. Keep your eyes out!!


	13. American Christmas Prep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Raven are prepping for their annual Christmas dinner. While they finish baking the cookies, they send their British girlfriends to the store to get last minute supplies. The only problem is Raven forgets that while they all technically speak English, there are some things that are lost in translation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: While Raven and Clarke scramble to get the last of the Christmas baking done, they send their girlfriends to the store with a list of the things they need for Christmas dinner. They just happen to forget that those girlfriends are British and some things are very different here...
> 
> (A prompt that evolved from a conversation with a new friend aka @warnerbear888)

The kitchen had never been quite so messy. Even if they considered it against all the times Raven had nearly blown the entire room up, never had Clarke felt the need to step back and sigh.

Char marks and still dancing flames she could totally deal with.

The seven batches of cookies she still needed to bake?

That was going to be the death of her.

“Would you please quit that?” Raven snapped as she rolled out more sugar cookie dough. She sprinkled more flour over the dough and rolled again. And again.

“That’s too thin,” Clarke said absentmindedly.

Narrowing her eyes, Raven dared her to say something else. When she didn’t, Raven nodded. Then she slammed the cookie cutters into the dough and grumbled under her breath.

Sighing again, Clarke gathered the bowls and spoons and utensils they’d already used and moved them closer to the sink. She was just rolling up her sleeves when the front door opened.

“Love?” Lexa’s voice carried through the house.

“In the kitchen!” Clarke responded before turning on the water and grabbing the first bowl in need of scrubbing.

Seconds later, arms wrapped around her waist and lips met her neck. Sighing for a completely different reason, Clarke tilted her head to the side. Lexa didn’t disappoint. She nipped gently at her pulse before sliding the tip of her nose up her neck to her ear.

“How are you, love?”

“I think we’ve used every single thing we own in here,” Clarke replied. Shutting off the water, she turned and looped her arms around Lexa’s neck. “We still have seven other kinds of cookies to make and we haven’t gone to the store to get the stuff we need for Christmas dinner. At this point we may end up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

Raven huffed next to her, “And the first one of our boneheaded friends to complain about those sandwiches is the one I make go boom!”

“No,” Anya, Raven’s girlfriend, laughed. “No booming. We agreed on that. We’ve built you a workshop so nothing else in here would go boom!”

Even though Clarke was giggling and nuzzling her neck, Lexa could feel the tension in her body. She ran her hands up and down her back, “What if Anya and I went to the market for you? You’ll be able to stay here and make your treats and we can help out without burning your house down.”

“Everyone wins that way,” Anya added, winking at Raven.

“You don’t have to do that. It’s Christmas Eve and you’ve never really done the American Christmas thing. Shopping in a grocery store on Christmas Eve should not be your first experience,” Clarke shook her head. She sighed and glanced back at the dishes, “I’ll just finish these and then go to the store really quick.”

That had Raven arguing, “No way! You’re not leaving me here to do all this baking by myself!”

Ignoring her protests, Clarke turned back to the sink and started scrubbing. Lexa slid up onto the counter next to her, taking the dishes from her and drying them with a towel. It didn’t take long, only Lexa’s occasional kisses to her cheek or neck was enough to draw Clarke’s concentration away from her work.

When she placed the last bowl on the counter, ready for the next batch of cookies to be mixed, Clarke sighed, “I guess I’ll go and get changed real quick.

“No you will not!” Raven argued, whirling around and brandishing the rolling pin. “Anya and Lexa are British, not idiots.”

“Thanks, love,” Anya called out from the living room, where she’d been moving furniture to make room for the tables they’d need to set up.

Hardly pausing to acknowledge her girlfriend, Raven continued to glare at her roommate, “Give them a list and start portioning out ingredients. They’ll be fine!”

“Neither one of them can cook,” Clarke argued. She smiled at Lexa’s grumbled disagreement, kissing her cheek before adding, “And they’ve been in the country for a month! They barely survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday!”

“Americans are heathens,” Lexa nodded before she shuddered. The memories of Thanksgiving would haunt her for a while yet.

“See?” Clarke arched a brow at Raven. She kissed Lexa’s pout before turning to go and get dressed.

When she came back into the kitchen ten minutes later, Raven was alone. She stepped back to look in the living room, confused at the disappearance of her girlfriend.

“Rae? Where are Lexa and Anya?”

“The store,” Raven replied as she slid another tray of cookies into the oven. She waved a hand at the ingredients waiting on the counter, “Get to mixing. I’m nearly done with the sugar cookies.”

****

Perhaps listening to Clarke would have been a good idea. Lexa would still be a good girlfriend if she’d merely accompanied her girlfriend to the store, right? Then she’d get to spend time with Clarke and she’d get girlfriend-brownie points. Instead… she was living a nightmare.

“Why are there to many potatoes?” Anya asked as she stood in front of the display, eyes wide while she stared at the variety of potato options. “What kind do they want? Sweet potatoes? We had those at Thanksgiving.”

“I think they want some of those and some others. Idaho. I remember Clarke saying that name,” Lexa replied. She tore off a bag from the stand and grabbed a half dozen of them while Anya picked a bag of potatoes.

They placed them in the cart and glanced around. So many people. Anya sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “what’s next?”

“Chicken,” Lexa read off the list Raven had written for her.

They moved to the poultry aisle. Which was empty…

“What do we do?” Anya asked.

“Jasper can suck it up and eat the turkey Clarke is going to cook. Who cares if he hates it?” Lexa replied.

It had been on of the first things Lexa and Anya had learned about their American girlfriends. They went above and beyond for their loved ones. They hated that Raven and Clarke worked themselves so hard on holidays for their friends. Usually Octavia came over to help, Bellamy tagging along to do the heavy lifting, but the others only showed up an hour before dinner and never helped make a thing. Jasper was the worst, insisting he wouldn’t eat the turkey Clarke made because he thought they were noble birds and he felt a kinship to them.

Anya only nodded and started to walk away, “What’s next?”

“Chips,” Lexa read.

That had them both freezing midstride. They glanced at each other, then the list.

“Should we call?” Anya whispered.

“No,” Lexa shook her head. She stared at the list, “Raven knows the difference right? She knows what we call chips isn’t what she calls chips.”

Anya moved to the chip aisle. She walked down, glancing from one bag to another, trying to figure out what kind to get. She finally grabbed one and shrugged, “No idea what we’re doing. That’s why I have Mum send us crisps.”

As they left the aisle, Lexa spotted the freezers. She tapped Anya on the shoulder and jerked her head that way, “Maybe we ought to grab some? Just in case?”

“I’ll do that, you go grab whatever is next,” Anya replied, moving toward the aisle.

Giving her a nod, Lexa moved to go and grab the bacon. She passed the meat counter, taking a quick look at the displays before she stopped. They had bacon like they had back home. Did Raven know that? Which did she want? American bacon made sense. Raven was American. But… the bacon like they had at home was so delicious.

After a quick debate, Lexa bought a pound of her fancy bacon before snagging a package of American bacon. If Raven and Clarke didn’t use the British style, she and Anya could always take it home with them.

“Got it!” Anya held up a bag of frozen French fries. Then she hefted a can, “And I found rice pudding. They said something for dessert right?”

“You don’t think the millions of cookies they’re baking right now is enough?”

Tossing her finds into the cart, Anya shrugged, “No idea. Raven said she wanted something special for dessert. So rice pudding.”

“Let’s check the aisles one more time to see if we find something they might want,” Lexa said. She turned the cart and moved up and down each aisle; ready to the grab last minute things Clarke and Raven may have forgotten.

“Hey!” Anya called out from the next aisle over. She rounded the corner quickly, holding up another jar. “Look what I found! This means we’re done right?”

Lexa studied the can carefully. It didn’t feel right to her but it was something on the list. So she shrugged and placed it in the cart.

****

Clarke had flour in places she’d never wanted flour. She was certain it was in her eye and her nose; her hair was caked in it. She probably looked thirty or forty years older than her 26 years.

She was just mixing the last of the doughs when the door opened. She moved to the door, grinning when she saw Lexa and Anya carrying bags.

Lexa closed the door, then turned toward the kitchen. She smiled and winked, “Hello, love!”

“Were you successful?” Clarke asked.

“We tried to be,” Anya replied with a shrug. “We make no promises. Raven wasn’t exactly clear on her list.”

Poking her head around the corner, Raven rolled her eyes, “You’re clever. I’m sure you did fine.”

Of course, she was right. They’d done well enough until Clarke and Raven discovered the frozen fries. They giggled over those for a few minutes.

“Really?” Clarke held them up and smiled.

“We figured it was better to be safe than sorry,” Lexa replied. She blushed a bit, “We thought you meant crisps but Raven wrote chips…”

Raven giggled, “What do you do when you want chips? Like… our chips?”

“Mum sends them,” Anya replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You have your mother send you chips?” Raven laughed louder.

Anya just nodded, “they’re better than any you have here. So she send me a couple bags every couple of months or so. I’ve some in the car. Want to try them?”

“You’re actually willing to share your precious crisps with me?” Raven gasped playfully, placing a hand over her heart.

“Just for you,” Anya replied, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. “I’ll be back. Tease Lexa for a bit.”

When Raven turned back around, Lexa was holding a big blue jar and blushing again. Without a word, Lexa handed it to her girlfriend. Clarke read the label and shook her head.

“Nope. No way,” she said before holding it out for Raven to take.

“Canned chicken?” Raven’s brows came together in confusion. Then she read the rest of the label. “A whole chicken? No way!”

Lexa looked from one woman to the other, “Is this… it isn’t a thing?”

“I’ve never even heard of it!” Clarke looked horrified at the very idea. “Why would there be a chicken in a can? Why didn’t you get that? Why not a chicken from the poultry section?”

“It was empty,” Lexa replied. She took the can back from Raven, “Is this really not a thing?”

“Not to us!” Clarke insisted.

The three women stared at the can. They passed it back and forth, each reading the label again and again.

“Let’s open it!” Raven finally said, just as Anya reappeared.

“Open what?” Anya asked, handing the open crisps bag to Lexa who immediately took one and popped it in her mouth.

Raven grabbed the can opener and took the can from Clarke, “I want to see what this chicken looks like. I’ve never seen this.”

It took a minute to get the chicken can open. She tipped it into a bowl.

“Nope! I’m not cooking that!” Clarke shrieked. “It’s all shriveled!”

“Jasper can starve!” Raven nodded. She thrust the bowl toward Anya, “get rid of that!”

Anya, who was happily enjoying her crisps, just stared at her. Then she looked at the chicken in a strange smelling liquid. “What am I meant to do?”

“Don’t care! Make it gone!” Raven insisted, turning around and shaking her head.

It took another five or so minutes for the Americans to calm down. Their British girlfriends spent that time laughing. They hadn’t known canned chicken was a thing anymore than Clarke and Raven had but it hadn’t freaked them out nearly as much. They were so entertained; they didn’t even mind the teasing they got for grabbing British bacon.

“Want to talk about the chicken again?” Anya asked cheekily.

“Not even a little bit,” Raven replied with a shudder. “Don’t be mean.”

Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke, nuzzling her neck. She sighed when Clarke’s arms looped around her too, “So we did okay?”

“You did just fine, babe,” Clarke replied.

Lifting her head, Lexa kissed her gently. She smiled when Clarke hummed into her kiss. Tightening her arms, she asked, “early bedtime tonight?”

Before Clarke could reply, Raven shrieked. Then she was laughing. She grabbed the bag of crisps from Anya and took off out of the kitchen. When Anya chased after her, Clarke looked back to Lexa.

Shrugging, Lexa said, “She’s your best friend.”

Then Raven was back, laughing and breathing heavily from trying to outrun her insanely fit girlfriend. She stopped on one side of the table and holding the bag out of Anya’s reach.

“You’re never getting these back. They’re my new favorite and you love me,” Raven panted.

“Raven! That’s my last bag!” Anya whined.

Clarke watched them danced around the table. Raven held the bag behind her and laughed as she popped another crisp into her mouth. When Anya whined again, Raven winked at her.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Raven offered, “You tell your mother I want my own bag the next time she send them to you and you let Clarke try one right now, and I’ll let you have the bag back.”

Narrowing her eyes, Anya took a moment before she nodded, “fine. I’ll have Mum send me extra next month and Clarke gets one crisp and then you give my bag!”

Taking two crisps out of the bag, Raven handed it back to her girlfriend. She approached Clarke as she popped one of the crisps into her mouth, holding the other out for Clarke to take.

“Try this,” Raven insisted, with a grin.

A hesitant glance to Lexa, who nodded, and then Clarke was trying the crisp. She gasped once she recognized the taste.

“Vajayjay chip!” Raven yelled, holding her hand up for a high five.

“Oh my god,” Anya groaned, “It’s scampi!”

Throwing her head back and laughing, Raven replied, “I call it like I taste it! Vajayjay!”

She grabbed the bag and took off out of the kitchen again. Anya was after her immediately. The shriek and then laughter that came from Raven let Lexa and Clarke know she’d been caught. The slamming bedroom door told them they weren’t going to be coming back any time soon.

Lexa’s eyes met Clarke’s as she giggled, “American Christmas is fun so far.”

“It’s so much better with you here. Finally!” Clarke replied. “Merry Christmas, Lex.”

“Happy Christmas, Clarke,” Lexa said softly, dipping her had to catch her in a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	14. First Snow(ball Fight)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke experiences her first snowfall on the ground. And initiates her first snowball fight with Lexa!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: We were playing in the snow and you suddenly tackled me to the ground and now…we’re just…staring… at each other…
> 
>  
> 
> AN: I know... I know... I'm behind!! I'll be catching up today though!! There will be at least one more out today (14 December). Keep your eyes out!!

From the balcony high up in the tower, just off the throne room, Titus glared down at the two dots frolicking on the ground. It was unbecoming. Shameful. All those years of training going to waste.

No.

He would stand for it no longer.

Spinning around, he quickly hurried to the elevator. He would put a stop to this once and for all.

****

Waking up early had never bothered Clarke. It usually meant she had time to sketch and think. It’d been months since the Ark had come to the ground. Months since Mount Weather and Lexa’s… decision. Somehow Clarke had found her way to Polis and into Lexa’s home.

 _Skaikru_ was made the 13 th clan, swearing to serve Lexa and her coalition. They established trade quickly, offering tech lessons for food and lessons in hunting and building and surviving. And Clarke was their representative in the capital city.

In all honesty, Clarke had found it difficult to sleep. She tossed and turned, managing a few hours of fitful sleep every night. It was only when Lexa noticed the dark circles and overheard her muttering in her sleep that she solved the problem.

So waking up early now meant pulling herself up in to sit in Lexa’s bed, the sleeping _Heda_ curled up next to her, usually with her arm thrown across Clarke’s lap. And then she sketched. Page after page of Lexa. Sleeping or dozing. Her eyes. How Clarke longed for a green bit of pencil or something to make those eyes more like their models.

That was how Clarke came to discover it had snowed. They’d experienced cold and frost but this… this was her first snow on the ground. Whirling toward the armoire she shared with Lexa, she grabbed her thickest shirt and a blue sweater Lexa had given her, pulling them on quickly, before grabbing her jacket.

“What are you doing?” Lexa’s tired voice broke through her excitement.

“I’m sorry,” Clarke whispered. “Did I wake you? It’s early if you want to sleep a bit longer.”

Sitting up and stretching, Lexa shook her head, “I am awake. What are you doing?”

“It snowed! I’m going to go and walk around.”

Smiling at the childlike wonder she heard in Clarke’s voice, Lexa shook her head and threw back the covers. She padded over to the door, opening it to speak quietly to her guards. Closing the door, she shook her head.

“You will not be warm enough in that. The guards are bringing the winter clothing in,” she explained.

“Like… hats?”

Biting her lip, Lexa dropped her eyes to the floor and nodded, “Hats and gloves and coats made of fur. To keep you warm. I would not want you to become sick.”

Lexa pulled a few articles of clothing to wear too. The guards came back with thick coats and the other things Lexa promised. As well as boots for Clarke to try on.

Nearly a half an hour later, they were on their way down the tower, hurrying to take a walk through a sleepy and snowy Polis.

****

An hour later, Lexa was watching Clarke make her twenty-first snow angel. She was so excited to play in the snow, like a child. Lexa showed her how to slide safely across the frozen creek behind the tower, how to catch a snowflake on her tongue, and how to make a snow angel. Every time Lexa showed her something new, Clarke’s excitement reminded Lexa of how much she used to love snow.

She looked up at the sky and smiled. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was something about the air during a snowstorm, like it was fresh and full of possibilities. She continued to stand like that, eyes closed, head tipped back, smiling at nothing, while Clarke made her angels.

Then something hit her in the back of the head.

Her eyes flew open as she reached for her sword. Scanning the horizon, she saw no threats. She also saw no Clarke.

“Clarke?” She called out.

Following the tracks in the snow, she found Clarke making a wall of snow. When she got too close, Clarke launched a snowball at her.

“Prepare for war, _Heda_!” Clarke declared, holding out her finger as if she was warning Lexa away.

“You’re challenging me?” Lexa scoffed. She glanced around and waved her guards over.

Clarke’s eyes grew at her actions, “Cheater!”

“Two of them will help you, one will help me, and two will keep watch,” Lexa replied easily. “You have a short amount of time, _Wanheda_. As soon as my defenses are in place, I will meet you on the battlefield.”

“You don’t scare me!” Clarke called after her.

****

An hour later, Clarke was peaking over the top of her snow wall. Ryder and Ranger had helped her immensely. She’d never have been finished with it by the time Lexa was ready.

Suddenly, a war cry sounded and a ball of snow was launched directly toward Clarke’s face. Ducking down, Clarke cringed when she heard the slap of hard packed snow hitting her wall.

“That would not have felt good, _Wanheda_ ,” Ryder whispered to her.

“Yeah,” Clarke nodded, glancing back over the wall only to duck again. “I technically don’t know how to throw. We didn’t really have baseball on the Ark. So I’m counting on you guys.”

Ryder grinned and nodded. Ranger leaned forward to whisper, “We’re close to the tree line. If you stay low, you can crawl over and hide in the trees. _Heda_ will not expect that. You can sneak behind her defenses that way.”

“You’re a genius,” Clarke nodded quickly. “I’m sorry for all the times I’ve cursed you for waking me.”

Staying as low as her coat would allow her, Clarke shimmied to the trees. She waited until she was in the brush before she stood. Hiding behind a tree, she saw Lexa’s wall clearly, and there was Lexa, helping her guard build a section a little closer to Clarke’s wall.

Smiling, Clarke picked her way through the trees until she was behind Lexa’s defense. Occasionally Ryder and Ranger would launch snowballs, drawing Lexa’s attention away from the snapping of twigs under Clarke’s feet.

Finally, Clarke was ready to sneak up on her. She grinned, sure she had the upper hand. Then she realized Lexa wasn’t at her wall. Freezing, Clarke looked around. She barely had time to see Lexa before she was being tackled to the ground.

They wrestled for a moment, the guards moving away to maintain a decent perimeter around them. Clarke managed to twist her hips just right to flip Lexa off of her, throwing her to her back in the snow and somehow climbing on top of her. When she was straddling Lexa’s hips, she froze.

“Lexa,” Clarke’s voice cracked when she realized the position they were in.

Lexa’s hands were in the snow, Clarke’s hands were holding them there. Clarke’s knees were hugging Lexa’s sides.

“Hello, Clarke,” Lexa smiled shyly up at her.

“I’m sorry!” Clarke squeaked and released her grip on her hands.

When she tried to scramble off of her, Lexa grabbed her hips. Her hands were underneath the coat. She braced her feet in the snow, bring her knees up a little for Clarke to lean back against.

“If… If you want me to move,” Clarke said quietly, “you have to let me go.”

“I think we both know I can’t let you go, Clarke,” Lexa replied as she sat up.

Swallowing thickly, Clarke shook her head. She and Lexa had never talked about their kiss in the tent. Lexa had never made any sort of advance. Even when Clarke had started sleeping in her bed, Lexa was a perfectly well behaved. This was the first time Lexa gave any sort of hint that that ‘something more’ was still there for her too.

“Lex,” Clarke whispered.

Shaking her head, Lexa lifted a hand to cup her face, “If you don’t want this, _niron_. If you don’t want me – ”

Clarke’s lips closing around hers silenced Lexa. She was stunned. She’d hoped and wondered. She’d watched and waited. And now here Clarke was, in her lap and kissing her.

“Of course I want you,” Clarke whispered against her lips before kissing her again. “More than I can put into words.”

Lexa beamed up at her. Leaning their foreheads together, they smiled and blushed and kissed again. Lexa was about to ask what their next step was when she heard stomping coming their way. She considered moving Clarke off her lap, but it felt nice to finally have her there, so she stayed.

“ _Heda_! This is highly inappropriate!” Titus bellowed and shook his finger at them.

Arching a brow and meeting her _Fleimkepa’s_ eye, Lexa waiting for him to stop his yelling. He cut himself short when he realized the girls weren’t breaking apart and separating.

“Titus,” Lexa spoke in her _Heda_ voice, the one that meant she was being deadly serious. “What Clarke and I choose to do is not your business. You do not command me. You are my advisor, not my _Heda_ , and you are certainly not my father. If I decide to announce to the Council tonight that Clarke and I wish to marry, that is my choice and you have no say in that.”

“ _Heda!_ ” Titus blanched.

Flicking her hand at him, Lexa dismissed him, “I’m sure you have duties attend. I’m taking the day to spending with Clarke.”

****

“I think my favorite part of snow days is going to be warming up,” Clarke said as she snuggled into Lexa’s side in their bed.

“My favorite part of everyday is falling asleep with you by my side. Or waking up with you there,” Lexa replied as she wrapped her arms around Clarke and pulled her nearly on top of her. “I like knowing you are near. I can keep you safe that way.”

Clarke kissed her cheek before tucking her head under her chin. She smiled and yawned, “I love the snow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> AN: I know... I know... I'm behind!! I'll be catching up today though!! There will be at least one more out today (14 December). Keep your eyes out!!


	15. Secrets in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How could anyone not have a crush on Lexa? Clarke certainly did. And she was going to do something about it. A simple request for a movie night with friends, the first time they'd hang out without books and laptops and studying involved.
> 
> Before Clarke can ask, she somehow works up the courage to tell Lexa a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: University AU Clexa first kiss in the snow. Bonus points if they're acquaintances on the verge of friends and one (whoever is the narrator of the story) has had growing feelings for the other which come to a head due to conversations and/or activities in the new snow. (@HowNowWit1 {on Tumblr} gave this to me in the comments on Chapter 1 of this fic...)
> 
>  
> 
> AN: All caught up!! Yay!!

Clarke had seen her around before, had even talked to her in class a few times. In fact, it was like Lexa’s eyes were homing beacons for Clarke’s, or maybe it was that Lexa could always sense when she was looking at her. It didn’t matter. What did matter was the fact that Clarke had finally built up the nerve to talk to Lexa about maybe hanging out, without homework or studying involved.

Pulling air into her lungs until they ached, Clarke let out a slow breath. She rolled her eyes at herself, “Jesus, Griffin. Get it together. It’s a movie night. With Octavia and Raven. You’re not asking her to – ”

“Not asking who what?” Raven popped up next to her. At Clarke’s shriek and jumping, she laughed, “talking to yourself again?”

“Don’t do that!” Clarke whacked her on the shoulder.

Raven dodged another slap and continued laughing, “I know what you were thinking about. Finally going to do it? Are you going to ask her?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Clarke sniffed, turning her blushing face away.

Pointing over Clarke’s shoulder, Raven replied, “Well you better hurry. It looks like your not-crush might have an admirer.”

Spinning on her heel, Clarke’s eyes locked with Lexa’s over another girl’s shoulder. She clenched her jaw and bit out, “Costia.”

“Go get your girl, Griffin,” Raven smacked her butt and gave her a shove.

That was all the encouragement Clarke needed. She lifted a hand and smiled easily at Lexa, who waved back and held her eyes as she approached.

“Hey, Lex,” Clarke said huskily. She liked to watch Lexa’s pupils dilate a little when she used that tone. “Busy?”

“Actually, I was just – ” Costia started to speak.

Barely sparing her a glance, Clarke spoke over her, “I was wondering if we could talk for a minute before class?”

“Sure,” Lexa replied. She looked back to Costia, her ex-girlfriend who had just come back from a year abroad, “I’ll see you around.”

Without waiting for a reply, Lexa held her elbow out for Clarke to weave her arm through. Then they were heading toward the café they usually met inside for a cup of coffee before class. Lexa moved to the counter while Clarke moved to sit at their favorite table.

“So what’s going on?” Lexa asked, sliding a mocha frappe in front of Clarke. She shuddered when Clarke took a long sip, “It’s snowing outside and you want to drink a milkshake?”

“It’s got coffee in it! That’s what matters!” Clarke shrugged. They’d had the same argument every Monday and Wednesday since the beginning of December.

Like always, Lexa rolled her eyes but gave her a small smile before taking a sip of her black coffee. Then, like she always did, Lexa leaned forward on her elbows and met Clarke’s eye, “Thank you for saving me. I think she was about to ask me on a date.”

“Is- is that… would you want to?” Clarke asked.

Without a sign of hesitation, Lexa shook her head, “Not even a little bit. She broke up so she could go to England without anything tying her down. So she could freely be herself while she was there. Can you imagine ending a 7 year relationship because you want to hook up with people while you’re meant to be studying?”

“I can’t imagine…” Clarke started to say ‘I can’t imagine breaking up with you’ but she caught herself. She shook her head and dropped her eyes to her drink, “I can’t imagine she thought you’d be waiting for her. She has to know what a catch you are.”

“I’m a catch?” Lexa repeated.

Lifting her head, Clarke found Lexa watching her closely. She started to reply but Lexa’s timer went off on her phone, which meant it was time to head to class. As usual, Lexa helped Clarke get bundled up again, holding her coat for her and helping her with her hat. Then she held the door while Clarke headed outside first.

Clarke made it about ten feet before she realized Lexa wasn’t in her usual spot beside her. She glanced back. Lexa was standing just off the sidewalk with her head tilted back, smiling at the grey sky.

“Lexa, what about class?”

Shrugging, she kept watching the sky, “Play hookie with me? Just this once?”

“As if I don’t try to get you to skip class every day?” Clarke laughed and shook her head. “You just want to be able to claim you’re the big bad influence.”

She watched for a few minutes, Lexa’s beauty highlighted by the silently falling flakes. The white flecks catching in her hair and resting on her lashes. In that moment, Lexa and the pull Clarke felt for her was almost like a magnet. She couldn’t fight it. She didn't want to fight it.

“I love the snow,” Lexa said softly when Clarke drew nearer to her. “It’s like… a security blanket. My mom told me once that snow is the best secret keeper in the world. That as long as you told a secret in the snow, the other person would never repeat it. Like the snow was there just to lock the words away.”

“And do you have any secrets to tell today?” Clarke smiled, her eyes watching Lexa giggle at the snow tickling her face.

A glance to the side, just a flash of green meeting blue, told Clarke she did. Lexa had a secret. And Clarke did too.

“What if someone tells you a secret and you don’t like it?” Clarke whispered, stepping even closer to her friend.

“Well, it’s all a secret I’d never tell. So I suppose I’d forget it,” Lexa replied after considering it for a moment. She reached out and pulled Clarke in front of her, pushing gently on her forehead until Clarke’s head was tipped back too. “Do you have a secret for me, Clarke?”

A deep breath, pulling air in until her lungs ached a bit, a slow release. Lexa knew that was Clarke’s tell. She knew it meant Clarke was nervous. Before Lexa could speak again, Clarke spoke.

“I do,” She nodded, even though Lexa couldn’t see her.

“Tell me?”

Lowering her chin, Clarke watched her for a moment. Then she reached forward and cupped Lexa’s face, applying just a little pressure until she was looking into her eyes. Then she pulled in another aching breath and released it slowly.

Giving Lexa a small smile, she leaned in. Her eyes darted between Lexa’s eyes, pupils dilated again, and her lips, parted and waiting. Before she could overthink, Clarke fit her lips to Lexa’s and sank her fingers into Lexa’s brown locks.

At first, there was no reaction and Clarke’s stomach plummeted. Maybe she had read all of it wrong. Maybe she was about to lose a friend. Except… she and Lexa weren’t really friends. They were class-friends. Besides coffee and studying, they never hung out outside of class. Maybe she overstepped, maybe –

Her racing thoughts were cut off when Lexa sighed against her lips and wrapped her arms loosely around her waist. That bottom lip that Clarke had daydreamed about slipped from between her lips and nestled into the groove below her own. After a second, Lexa pulled back. Clarke was afraid she’d claim it was all a mistake, but when the tip of Lexa’s nose brushed again hers, and Lexa opened her eyes just a little, shooting a small smirk her way, Clarke knew it was all going to be okay.

They kissed for a while. Soft kisses, exploring kisses, nipping and teasing kisses. They kissed until they were smiling too big to kiss anymore. Their lips parted but their foreheads stayed pressed together.

“Lex?” Clarke whispered.

“Yes?”

Clarke glanced around without breaking her contact with Lexa, “It stopped snowing.”

“That’s good,” Lexa replied softly. At Clarke’s questioning look, she smiled and brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, “I wouldn’t want to keep this a secret. Not anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	16. Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As their one year anniversary approaches, Raven and Anya settle in for a movie marathon during a snow storm. Raven whips up some of her famous hot chocolate. Anya shows her that even after a year together, she still has a few secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “You don’t like marshmallows in your hot chocolate? Why do you hate love?”

To say the snowstorm burying the city under more than a foot of snow was unexpected would be a lie. They’d had plenty of warning. Days of it actually. But Anya had been too wrapped up in her relationship and with work to really pay attention. Somehow she’d ended up at Raven’s house when the storm hit anyway, and Raven was prepared.

“I’ll just check the generator one more time,” Raven said before she stepped aside to let Anya take over stirring the hot chocolate she’d whipped up from scratch. “You should be good. Just don’t mess with the heat.”

That was how Anya found herself stirring a gigantic pot of chocolate. She felt like Willy Wonka. Unable to stop the giggle, she started humming the Oompa Loompa song. Then she was dancing to it while she stirred.

“I don’t think I’ve ever considered Oompa Loompas to be sexy before. This is messing with my childhood memories,” Raven said softly.

Yelping and spinning around, Anya brandished the wooden spoon like it was a sword. “Raven!”

“Oh,” Raven grinned at the sight. She took a few steps forward until the spoon was nearly touching her chest, “Is you saying you want to spank me? Because I don’t remember liking it when my parents did it but I think my reaction might be a bit different with you.”

“Raven,” the name came out a bit more strangled.

“Do we need a safe word?” Raven winked.

Owlish blinking met her teasing. She laughed, her head tossed back as she laughed loudly. She regained some composure after a minute or two. Taking the spoon and sliding it back into the hot chocolate, Raven stepped forward until she was pressed against Anya, who was pinned to the counter.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Raven cupped her face in her hands. She studied Anya’s eyes, finding amusement buried under the shock of Raven’s teasing.

“Don’t be sorry. It was funny,” Anya replied, moving her hands to grip Raven’s wrists.

A hum of understanding met Anya’s ears and then there were lips on hers. She sighed, kissing Raven would never get old. They’d been together for nearly a year and every single time Raven kissed her like that, soft and delicate, like she was worried she’d break her, Anya’s love for her burst from her heart.

It was always too soon when Raven pulled away. Anya whined and tried to pull her back in. Her girlfriend only laughed and shook her head.

“Our hot chocolate is ready,” she said.

Sighing, Anya grabbed the ladle and handed it to Raven. After spooning generous portions into Christmas themed mugs, Raven grabbed the bottle of Bailey’s from the cabinet where she stored her liquor. She topped of their drinks and carried them to the living room.

Once they were settled, with mugs in hand, they started the movie they’d picked out. Nothing soothed Anya quite like cuddling up on the couch with Raven. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, sipping on the perfectly made hot chocolate in her snowman shaped mug.

****

“Ready for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?” Raven asked as soon as the first movie finished.

It wasn’t too late, only just passed eight.

She nodded and held up her cup, “more chocolate?”

Raven took her cup, and placed a quick kiss on her lips, before retreating into the kitchen to refill their cups. Anya grabbed the remote and selected the second movie in the Harry Potter series. She’d never seen them before, something she hadn’t told Raven until a couple weeks before. Her girlfriend immediately insister she take the Sorting Quiz and all the other quizzes.

“Still don’t see what makes me a Hufflepuff,” Anya muttered. The house hadn’t been featured at all so far but Raven was adamant it fit.

“You’re loyal to a fault and while you stick to your values, you don’t try to put others down for believing differently than you,” Raven replied as she sat next to her again.

Anya couldn’t help but roll her eyes. From what Raven had explained about the houses, Anya felt she was a Gryffindor. She was brave and chivalrous. Clarke, Raven’s best friend, had insisted she was a Slytherin.

Just as the floating jello was hovering over that woman’s head, Anya reached for her drink. She lifted it to her lips and started to take a drink when she froze.

“Raven?” She whispered.

“Yeah?” Raven replied.

Anya slowly lowered her mug to the coffee table, “Why are there little white things in my hot chocolate?”

“Little white…” Raven blinked a few times and paused the movie. “Ahn, those are marshmallows.”

“I… um…” Anya blushed and looked away from her. She cleared her throat, “I don’t like marshmallows.”

Her declaration was met with silence. After a half of a minute, Anya glanced back at her girlfriend. She was staring at her with her mouth open.

“Raven?”

“You don’t like marshmallows in your hot chocolate?” Raven repeated, still not sure she’d heard correctly. “Why do you hate love?”

That had Anya blinking like an owl again. She tried to see the connection Raven had apparently made between marshmallows and hot chocolate and love. No matter how she tried to connect those dots though, nothing made sense.

“What?”

That was the cleverest thing she could think of to say.

“Who doesn’t like marshmallows in hot chocolate?” Raven asked, her eyes still wide in shock.

“I don’t like marshmallows,” Anya replied.

Throwing her hands into the air, Raven exclaimed, “Clarke was right! You’re a Slytherin!”

“Hey!” Anya protested. Then she scrunched her brows together. She didn’t know why she felt insulted by that but Raven had only ever called Jasper a Slytherin in that tone before and she didn’t like being lumped together with him.

Raven shook her head and scooped the marshmallows out of Anya’s cup and into hers. She was muttering the whole time too, “No marshmallows. You think you know someone and then she says no to marshmallows. How can she wait an entire year before she tells me this?”

“I’m allergic to them,” Anya said quietly. She wasn’t even sure Raven had heard her.

Sighing, Raven stood and grabbed both mugs of hot chocolate. She walked to the kitchen without a word. Anya stared at the door, trying to figure out if she’d made as big of a mistake as Raven seemed to think she had. After a minute, Raven returned with two fresh mugs. She set them down and left again. This time she headed toward her bedroom. Anya could hear water running. She hardly had time to figure out what was happening before Raven was back again.

“Are you okay?” she asked as soon as her girlfriend was seated next to her.

“Who waits a year to tell their girlfriend their allergic to something?” Raven replied, rolling her eyes and taking a sip of her drink.

The mug caught Anya’s eye. It wasn’t the goofy Santa shaped on she’d been using. It was a plain black mug.

“What’s with the new mug?”

“You said you’re allergic to marshmallows. I put the other mugs in the dishwasher and grabbed these. Not overly festive but they’ll do,” Raven answered before taking another sip. She glanced at Anya and winked, “I also brushed my teeth and used some mouthwash for when I feel like making out with you in the middle of the movie.”

Laughing, Anya dove in for a kiss. She rained kisses all over Raven’s face before she placed a gentle kiss on her lips, “You’re the best.”

“Well,” Raven replied with a shrug, “I figured if I really want to marry you, I probably shouldn’t kill you with marshmallows first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	17. Anya = Scrooge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya isn't sure why she hates Christmas. She just does. She always has. Not that she ever tried to force other people to hate it too. She just wanted to be left alone. Of all people, Anya thought her wife, Raven, would understand...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Could you write a Ranya prompt where Raven and Anya are married with a daughter, Tris, but Anya hates Christmas with a passion and always misses spending it with her family because she’s working (preferably as a CEO or something), and Raven is almost fed up enough about it that she might want a divorce. But then, on Christmas Eve the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future come to Anya in a dream to make her love Christmas. And it all ends in a happy ending of course. I'd love to see that or at least something similar. (Given by Mo!)
> 
>  
> 
> TW: This one got a bit heavy... I think its appropriate given the prompt. Just know that there is discussion of and some description of child and spousal abuse. It isn't perpetrated by Anya! Basically, when the first spirit visits Anya? Skip that part if you think you could be triggered! I made the beginning and the end of that part BOLD, so you have something to look for!

There were just some things in life that Anya Woods hated. Ignorance, deceit, and, if she were being honest, Christmas. She understood why so many people loved the holiday, she really did. She just wasn’t one of them.

She didn’t have a reason for her hatred either. Sure, she’d been essentially abandoned as a child but her father’s cousin Gustus and his wife Indra had adopted her and her sister, Lexa, when Anya was 6 and Lexa was 2, adding them to their little family of 3, which already included their 4-year-old son, Lincoln. They’d had the big holidays. She’d hated it every year. The pictures of her standing next to Lexa and Lincoln with the Christmas trees and a scowl on her face hadn’t been faked. Anya adored her family. But she hated Christmas. Now that she was older and married with her own daughter, she thought she’d have learned to tolerate it.

She hadn’t.

Her daughter, Tris, was 8. Anya hadn’t really been around for Christmas in the last 4 years. She’d always find a work reason to be gone. As the CEO of a major company, there was always a reason to travel.

Sure, she’d make sure Tris got the gifts she wanted, all wrapped up pretty for her to tear through on Christmas morning. She’d buy Raven, her ever-devoted wife, some jewelry and apologize for missing another Christmas. They had everything they wanted for Christmas. Anya got to avoid celebrating a holiday she hated, Raven and Tris got their gifts. Everyone won that way.

So why she was sitting in the office of her house, staring across her desk at a teary-eyed Raven, she wasn’t sure.

“Raves,” she said quietly as pushed the box of tissues toward her. She felt her own eyes burning. “Baby, you have to tell me what’s going on. I can’t read your mind and you’re starting to scare me.”

“Maybe that’s what you need,” Raven snapped. She took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “Maybe you need a good scaring to see what’s happening.”

Sighing, Anya leaned back in her chair, “You could just make this easier and tell me. No riddles. Just words.”

“Tris just told me she wants to take the tree down. She wants to give all the gifts under there with her name on them to the shelter,” Raven said. She clenched her jaw and pointed at Anya, “You fix this. Stop ruining our daughter’s Christmas by disappearing on work trips. She’s starting to hate it too. I won’t let you do that.”

“Raven,” Anya’s eyes grew round.

“No!” Raven exploded. She surged to her feet and shook her head. She leaned over Anya’s desk, her fists holding her up. “I won’t have my daughter growing up to hate Christmas just because you have some theory about the commercialization of a pagan holiday. It’s a time for us to be together and show our love for each other. You fix this.”

Staring up at her wife, Anya swallowed thickly, “I don’t know how.”

“I swear to whatever you hold dearest in this world, you will fix this or I will be seeing a lawyer at the holidays, Anya,” Raven bit out.

“You’re not serious,” she replied, her jaw dropping.

Standing up, Raven nodded, “I hated missing out of Christmas with you when we were dating. I hated it even more when Tris came and I could see how much you didn’t want to be with us. You can’t have a cue how much that hurt! And now… now you have my baby starting down the same path as you. Only she doesn’t have that nonsense about pagans and corporations in her head. She’s hating it because every other child she knows gets to spend the day snuggled up to their parents and her mama is missing.”

“Raven,” Anya said again, like it was the only word she could remember.

“Fix this, now,” Raven said. Then she was gone.

****

She tried to think of a solution. She really did. Anya went back and forth between her work and pacing around her office all day. She’d missed dinner, something she knew Raven would be furious over. She just had to think.

Nothing came to her.

The simplest answer would be to put on a brave face and pretend to not hate Christmas. The very idea made Anya feel like a fraud. She could sit Tris down and explain things, but she was 8 and Anya didn’t like the idea of explaining the world of mega corporations to her daughter.

It was dark outside by the time Anya decided to head to bed. She hated disappointing Raven and Tris but… she wasn’t sure she could get around it. Raven’s threat rolled around in her head over and over again. She was sure the words were empty. She and Raven had been together for 12 years, having met Anya’s last year at university and Raven’s second. They were married and they had a daughter. They loved each other.

Anya yawned as she reached the master bedroom. She went through her nightly routine as quietly as possible, not wanting to risk Raven’s wrath is she woke her. She tossed her clothes into the hamper and slid into bed. She and Raven rarely slept with clothing on, a habit Anya adored.

When Anya reached for her wife, she was met with a cold and empty bed.

“Raves?” she called out while turning over to turn on the light. She was alone.

Getting out of bed, she reached for her robe. Immediately, she checked on Tris who was sound asleep in her bed. She checked the study, the living room, and Raven’s workshop. As a last resort, she checked the 4 guest rooms they had in the house. Her wife was in the third room.

“Raven?” Anya said softly as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Why are you in here?”

“Mad at you,” Raven answered sleepily. “Go to bed.”

Shaking her head, Anya pulled off her robe and slid in next to her wife. “I know you’re mad. And I’m going to try to help Tris… But I can’t make myself like this holiday.”

“You don’t even know why you hate it,” Raven replied.

“I don’t think that matters,” Anya said, moving closer until she was curled around her wife. She kissed the back of her bare shoulder and nuzzled at her neck, “I’m sorry this is hurting you. I’ll try to do better.”

Raven nodded, reaching back to thread her fingers through Anya’s hair, wanting to hold her in place, “You need to, Ahn. I was serious about the lawyer.”

****

**At first, Anya wasn’t sure if she was awake or dreaming. One moment she’d been sleeping next to Raven in a guest bedroom and the next, she was standing on the porch of a little Cape Cod style house. She glanced down, she was wearing clothes, so she’d assume she’d woken up. Although, the black v-neck t-shirt and ripped grey jeans were things she hadn’t worn since college.**

“I hope you don’t mind,” a man’s voice sounded behind her. She whirled around to find a tall black man smiling at her, “I made sure to get you some clothes before we left.”

“Lincoln?” She questioned.

“Is that who I look like?” The man smiled broadly. “I’m not your brother… or cousin… whatever you think of him as. I just take on the form of a person you trust. You can call me Lincoln though. I answer to anything.”

Glancing around, Anya tried to figure out why this place felt so familiar, “Where are we.”

“Your first home,” Lincoln replied.

He gave her a gentle shove, sending her through the wall behind her. Once she regained her footing, she gasped. She saw the tree and the homemade decorations. Then she saw herself. Little 3-year-old Anya was lying under the tree, watching the lights dance to the music her father had hooked up somehow.

The crash of the plate against the wall near her head had her jumping. Father and stepmother were fighting. Again. It wasn’t anything new. They did that a lot. Especially now that her mother was pregnant but wouldn’t stop drinking.

The fight grew more and more physical. She remembered this one. Her stepmother knocked her father out with a right hook and then chased her around when she wouldn’t tell her where the booze had been hidden. A neighbor called the cops.

It was the first time Anya was taken from them.

“Why are we here?” Anya whispered, tears springing up in her eyes.

“You wanted to know why you hate Christmas. This is why,” Lincoln waved a hand and they were moved forward a year. There Anya was under the tree again, only this time she had little 4-month-old Lexa next to her. Anya hummed along with the music, tapping her feet together.

That year hadn’t been too horrible. Not at first. Anya’s dad had been awarded custody of his daughters after his wife was sentenced to a year in prison for nearly killing him. A pounding on the door changed that.

“I want to see my girl!” Came her stepmother’s voice.

“Come back when you aren’t drunk!” Her father yelled back. “The girls don’t need this!”

A snort sounded, Anya could picture the eye roll her stepmother gave, “As if I care about your little angel. I want my girl!”

“I think that’s enough of that,” Lincoln waved his hand again. “The next year, she’d be sober and home again. Happy with your father and Lexa but nearly ignoring you. And she’d brought your father to that level too. He never hit you or hurt you but he never stopped her. And when Christmas came, 5-year-old Anya was given a set of socks and a new dustpan.”

“I hate that woman,” Anya bit out.

“And when you were 6, just before you were taken in by your father’s cousin and his wife,” Lincoln said quietly. He waved his hand to show 2-year-old Lexa under the tree on her own. Anya was sweeping the kitchen, yet again, and eyeing her.

There was more shouting and dishes being broken. Anya cleaned up the messes straight away, as always. For whatever reason, that made her stepmother even angrier. She threw Anya against the wall, snarling when the girl whimpered.

“No!” Lexa cried and hurried to her sister’s side.

“Get out of here!” Anya’s stepmother roared at her daughter.

Anya’s father grabbed her arm, pulling her away, “You’re scaring her. It’s bad enough you terrorize Anya but don’t get started on Lexa now too!”

They disappeared into their bedroom. Anya whimpered on the floor for a few minutes before getting up to clean up the mess. Lexa grabbed her little toy broom and helped as much as she could.

Lincoln’s hand wave had the scene disappearing before Anya’s stepmother killed her father, but Anya remembered. She remembered being taken in by Gustus and asked to testify against her stepmother. She remembered making herself forget all about the horrible experiences she’d had at home with her stepmother. She remembered smiling when that evil woman was put away for 40 years.

“You forgot so you could cope but you held onto those feelings of anger and hatred,” Lincoln said. HE waved his hand again, returning them to Raven’s side in the guest bedroom. “You associated all of that with Christmas, and with good reason. She was always worse at the holidays. But you turned it into a distorted stand against big business and misappropriated pagan festivals.”

“I’d forgotten all of that,” Anya admitted as she climbed back into bed with her wife.

**Lincoln nodded, “I know you did. That’s why I came tonight. And you’ll have two more visitors so don’t get too comfortable,” He warned with a smile and wink. “You wanted answers, so we’ll give them to you. I just hope you’re ready.”**

****

It was almost as if she’d closed her eyes for a moment and opened them to find her Clarke, her sister-in-law, standing next to her.

“Hey,” Clarke beamed. “Finally made your appearance!”

“Are you…”

Shaking her head, “I’m not. Just look like her. And I have to say, this look is probably in my top three favorites of all time!”

“Sounds like something Clarke would say,” Anya replied. She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. “Okay, so what are you going to show me? More sad Christmases? The times I ignored Indra’s pleas to join in on the family fun?”

“Nope,” Clarke popped the ‘p’ and smiled. “I’m here to show you what this Christmas will be like if you continue on your current path.”

Anya rolled her eyes, “You mean an angry wife and pouting child? I already know that.”

“If you don’t change your ways, when you wake up on Christmas morning you will be alone in that big house you worked so hard for,” Clarke shook her head.

She waved her hand and took them across the city to Lexa’s house. They moved through the wall, this time with Clarke’s hand between Anya’s shoulder blades and not shoving her inside.

“Merry Christmas, Tris!” Lexa said happily. She leaned down to kiss the top of her niece’s head.

“I hate Christmas,” Tris muttered, squirming to get out of the embrace. “It’s stupid and dumb and it just makes you buy things for people you don’t like!”

Tsking, Raven knelt down next to her, her hand rising to run across her daughter’s back, “I know you’re mad about Mama. I’m mad about Mama too. But I’m happy you’re here. And I love you. I didn’t buy you presents because I don’t like you.”

“No! Mama says it’s a dumb thing to do! I don’t want presents!” Tris insisted, twisting out of Lexa’s hug and moving away from Raven. She glared at her mother, her eyes hardening in a way Anya had never seen before. “Give those to the kids at the shelter. I don’t want them. I don’t want any presents anymore!”

Raven tried to catch her arm, to keep her from leaving but Tris jumped away and turn to run up the stairs. Anya moved forward, wanted to take Raven into her arms, to tell her everything would be okay, that Anya would make it all okay again.

“You can’t touch her. She doesn’t even know you’re here,” Clarke told her.

“Why would Tris act like that?” Any asked, staring at her crying wife.

Snorting, Clarke waved her hand to take them upstairs. Tris was in the room Clarke and Lexa had designated as hers in their home. She was pacing around the room, a habit she picked up from Anya. She had a cell phone in her hand, the glimpse Anya got of the screen told her it was Raven’s.

“Mama, it’s Tris again. You’re right. Christmas is for dummies,” She sniffled a little. Wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, she said, “I think you’re right. I told Mommy you’re right. Can you come home now? No more Christmas for me if you come home now.”

“Oh, baby,” Anya dropped to her knees in front of her crying daughter. She looked up at Clarke and shook her head, “There’s no way I keep acting like this about Christmas after getting that voicemail. No way! I’d be racing to get to her and Raven!”

Clarke only shrugged, “That wasn’t a voicemail. She was talking to you. You’re still at the house, wallowing because Raven didn’t even wake you to try to get you to go to your sister’s house for the party. She always does. She always tries to get you celebrate even if you don’t like it. But this year, she’s fed up. Your daughter is mimicking your dislike of the holiday and she can only fight one battle for Christmas at a time.”

With a wave of her hand, they were back in the guest bedroom. Anya knelt beside Raven’s side of the bed, running her hand over her hair and kissing her forehead. She whispered apologies Raven will never hear and asked for forgiveness. Anya didn’t even notice Clarke fade away.

****

That’s how Anya drifted off. She had her hands clasped around one of Raven’s and her head on the bed. It only felt like a few seconds before she was shaken awake.

Blinking at the bright light hovering over her head, Anya rubbed her eyes. When they focused, she was looking up at her sister.

“Lexa?” She whispered.

“Nope,” Lexa shook her head. “Just look like her. You’d think you’d get that by now. I’m the third spirit to visit you. The first two were the same way right? Appeared as loved ones? So why would you think I’m the real Lexa?”

Rolling her eyes, Anya pushed herself to her feet. She held out her hand for Lexa to take and sighed, “Let’s get this over with.”

“That’s the spirit!” Lexa smiled and snapped her fingers.

In a flash they were outside a house. A beautiful Victorian style manor, the kind Raven had always loved. Anya took a moment to take it all in. The light blue siding with purple accents, the wraparound porch, the huge windows. All of it, exactly as Raven had described her dream home.

“That’s because it is,” Lexa cut into her thoughts. She pulled Anya through the wall as she explained, “Raven used her divorce settlement to buy this place. Fancy right?”

“Divorce? No way,” Anya shook her head.

With a shrug, Lexa continued talking, “So this is how your beloved ex-wife spends her once favorite holiday. Alone. Lexa… the real Lexa, and Clarke and Octavia and Lincoln will try for years to help her celebrate. But once Tris decides to follow you down the path of ‘bah humbug’ there really is no coming back for her.”

“I don’t believe this,” Anya shook her head, fighting back tears.

There was Raven. Her beautiful and vivacious wife, sitting in a chair by the window, just watching the world. There was a book in her hands but it didn’t even look like she was trying to read. Nowhere in sight was there even a single piece of decoration. No tree, no wreaths, no ornaments, no obnoxious dancing Santa that Anya glared at but sort of secretly loved.

“No,” Anya shook her head again. “There’s no way. Raven loves Christmas.”

“She loved you more. And then Tris. She loved the two of you and then she lost the two of you,” Lexa said. She sighed, dramatically, “She tried to warn you, years before this, that Tris was following you and Raven wouldn’t have that. But you didn’t listen. You didn’t think she was serious.”

For a while, Anya just watched Raven. As the hour grew later, she’d started silently crying. And then, the phone rang.

“Tris,” Raven smiled when she answered the phone. There was a pause, “I know you don’t like it, baby. I know. You don’t have to say it. I’ll just say it to you and then we’ll hang up and forget it ever happened okay? Merry Christmas.”

“Your daughter calls Raven everyday on her way home from work,” Clarke explained. She smiled sadly, “She became a lawyer. She adores Raven but she still hates Christmas and she avoids talking to you unless she has to. The only day she struggles with her call to Raven is Christmas day.”

Anya’s sniffles became quiet sobs. With the back of her hand, she wiped at her eyes and fought back the tears. Pulling in a deep breath, she ordered, “Take me back. I get it. I know what I have to do.”

****

Anya woke up with a start. She wasn’t sure if those visits had been real or if they’d been her subconscious speaking to her. It didn’t matter. Spirits or brain, she knew she had been in the wrong. She knew she had to fix it.

She leaned down and kissed Raven’s cheek, whispering, “I love you.”

“Love you too, stubborn ass,” her wife replied, still mostly asleep.

Then, Anya ran to her office. She was half way there when she realized she was wearing that rock shirt and ripped jeans… She stared at herself for a moment before shaking her head and telling herself not to think about it.

She grabbed her coat and her wallet before she wrote a quick note to Raven and left it on the kitchen counter.

She spent that day shopping. She bought all the goofy decorations Raven had always wanted but she had scoffed at. She bought the Christmas movies she’d always refused to watch. She bought carts filled with toys and roll after roll of wrapping paper. Then she texted her sister and begged her to get Raven and Tris out of the house.

Decorating the house the way Raven had always wanted took forever. She eventually had to call Lincoln and Lexa for help. Together, they turned the house into a winter wonderland, finishing just before dinner.

“What…” Raven’s eyes were round when she walked inside with Tris. “How?”

“Merry Christmas,” Anya said, her voice quiet and wobbling. Tris’s bottom lip jutted out, like she was about to argue and then pout. Bending down, Anya hugged her tightly, “Merry Christmas, baby.”

Tris shook her head, “You don’t like it.”

Sighing, Anya pulled away, “I do. I just forgot how important it could be for me to be with my family. And that’s what Christmas is really about. I forgot that. I’m sorry.”

“Ahn?” Raven’s tone had her lifting her head.

Still on her knees, Anya wrapped her arms around Raven’s waist and pulled her close, until she was hugging her. Anya’s head was pressed to Raven’s stomach, her wife’s hands holding her head there gently.

“I’m sorry, love. I’m so sorry,” Anya said over and over again.

“What happened? What is all this?” Raven asked.

Slowly coming to her feet, kissing her wife gently, Anya smiled. “I found my Christmas spirit and I had a lot of time to make up for. So I did. And those presents,” she pointed at the huge mound of poorly wrapped gifts, “Are for the kids at the shelter. I am not very good at wrapping gifts, now we know that. Tris was right about one thing, they need Christmas too.”

“You like Christmas?” Tris asked.

“I love Christmas. And I’m going to love it more and more every year,” Anya responded. She smiled and winked at her daughter, “Do you know the only thing I love more than Christmas right now?”

Tris shook her head, staring at the crazy pile of presents, “what?”

Anya pulled her wife and daughter into her arms, “my family. My spunky little girl and my gorgeous, way-too-patient wife. I love you both very much. Merry Christmas!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	18. Merry Christmas, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lexa are expecting for their family to grow around the holidays. They're eagerly awaiting the birth of their twins, in fact. They just didn't think the twins would make their appearance on Christmas Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: I would love to read one where Lexa is pregnant and they have their own Christmas miracle on Christmas Day or one sharing their first Christmas with twins. I am a sucker for Clexa babies/kids. Many write Clarke as the one having them, but I love reading about Lexa being the one who does. (Given by Shepard7276)
> 
> I got this prompt and could not get it out of my head. So here you go!! I hope you enjoy!!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: I'm not sure if there will be another one out today. I'm going to try though! Keep your eyes peeled for it just in case!

When they’d first discussed the idea of kids, of having their own little ones running around, Clarke had been sure she’d be the one to carry them. As a terrifically successful artist she had so much more flexibility when it came to taking time off than her lawyer wife. So when Lexa had announced during one of their follow-up conversations that she’d like to carry at least their first child, Clarke was stunned.

It wasn’t that Lexa wasn’t maternal. She was great with Anya and Raven’s daughter, Tris, and amazing with Lincoln and Octavia’s son, Artigas. Kids loved her. Most used her as a living jungle gym within minutes of meeting her. And Lexa, bless her, would carry on with whatever conversation she’d been engaged in before she had a kid or two climbing all over her like she was completely used to using her well-earned muscles that way.

As much as Clarke loved the idea of being pregnant herself, the look on Lexa’s face when she shyly announced her desire to carry their baby had Clarke agreeing before she could finish her sentence. Lexa’s normally stoic face had melted into a soft look not even Clarke could claim to have seen before. Her eyes, usually as hard as emeralds, gave way to supple moss and her stern, almost frowning, lips lifted into a smile that had Clarke falling in love with her again.

And now, here they were nearly a year after that decision. They’d been warned by experts of the chances of the first procedure failing. The experimental process, using both of their DNA, wasn’t tried and true. Even if it had been, IVF was never fully guaranteed to work.

As always, Lexa got her way. The first time worked. She was carrying their child. Or rather, children. Twin girls to be exact. It was hard to tell which mom-to-be was more excited.

On Christmas Eve, Clarke found herself staring at her gorgeous wife as she brushed her hair in their master bathroom. She’d heard of the pregnancy glow but on Lexa… It was otherworldly. She looked like a goddess from an ancient civilization come to Earth.

“I look like a whale,” Lexa said, dropping her brush to the counter.

“I said that out loud?” Clarke winced. She moved behind her wife and placed her hands on her swollen stomach. “You don’t look like a whale. You look like my very sexy, very pregnant wife.”

Lexa’s eyes met hers in the mirror. She sighed and leaned back against her, “I miss my abs. I miss working out.”

“Freak,” Clarke chuckled, planting a series of kisses on her neck. “I miss your abs too. But think about what we’re going to have in a few days. Who we’re going to have!”

There was that soft smile again. Lexa’s hands rested over Clarke’s as the girls kicked at their hands. The movement didn’t cause the slight bit of alarm it used to, now it was a comfort the expectant mothers.

“This time next year, our girls will be ready to tear into all the presents we’re going to buy them!” Clarke whispered, her eyes on her wife’s belly in the mirror, her lips pressed to the back of her shoulder.

“Is it bad that I want to fast forward to next Christmas? I want them here to enjoy all the fun!” Lexa sighed, rubbing at her belly and giggling at Clarke’s peck at her neck as she maneuvered her toward their spacious bed.

****

Early Christmas morning had always been Lexa’s favorite time of the day. She’d always wake early and scope out the presents, trying to figure out what was inside each package. This year, there weren’t many gifts under the tree. She and Clarke had agreed to limit themselves to a few presents each and a budget of just $200. They could have afforded more, but they were getting what they wanted most so the rest didn’t seem important.

Of course, Clarke was going to give Lexa hell when she realized she had dropped nearly 4 times that on her gift. She hadn’t been able to stop herself though. The Mother’s necklace had cemented itself in her brain as the perfect gift as soon as she’d seen it in the jewelry store. Lexa knew there were less expensive gifts but… well, it was Clarke and she couldn’t help herself.

And yes, maybe she shouldn’t have then bought the handmade rocking chair that now sat next to the tree for her wife too. But Christmas was about giving! And Clarke, her beautiful wife, had given her two children. It was totally Lexa’s right to spoil her!

She made breakfast, just some waffles and fruit because bacon and eggs and sausage all made Lexa nauseous. Once the food was prepared, she made her way upstairs to the master bedroom.

“Love?” She climbed into bed next to her still soundly sleeping wife.

Clarke didn’t move. She never did. So Lexa laughed and nudged at her shoulder until she was on her back. Then, as with every Christmas they’d spent together, Lexa straddled her. Leaning down to kiss her awake like she usually did was impossible, what with her belly being in the way and all, so Lexa started to massage her stomach. When Clarke stirred gently, Lexa smirked and moved her hands up under her tank top slowly until she held her wife’s breasts in her hands. She knew Clarke was awake, she always was at this point, but when her eyes stayed closed Lexa bit her bottom lip and took her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, rolling them gently.

“Lex,” Clarke whined.

“Problem?” Lexa husked, smiling at her wife’s pout.

Opening one eye, Clarke glared up at her, “You’re not naked. You’re never naked. Every Christmas I tell you to be naked the next year and yet, here we are.”

“Clarke?” Lexa grinned from ear to ear.

“Yes?”

Moving her hands from Clarke’s chest, and valiantly ignoring the whines the motion caused, Lexa shuffled backwards on her lap. She reached for Clarke’s hands and laced their fingers together, “Come up here and kiss me?”

The tug on her hands was unnecessary. Clarke was more than ready to comply with her wife’s request. As she sat up, adjusting so Lexa was more comfortable, Clarke whispered, “I love you.”

“Prove it,” Lexa’s eyes smoldered as they met blue. “And make it fast, the food is getting cold."

****

In all their years together, a decade if you counted the year they’d been just friends, Clarke had never failed to keep Lexa happy and satisfied. That morning was no different. They were at the table and eating, smirking at one another, fifteen minutes, and two orgasms apiece thanks to Clarke, later.

Glancing at the clock by the fridge, Clarke sighed, “It isn’t even eight.”

“We have to be to your mother’s by noon to help with the cooking,” Lexa reminded her.

“Can’t we be the late ones for once?” Clarke whined. She glared at her waffles, suddenly not hungry anymore. “Raven and Anya always have a reason to be late. Can’t it be our year this year? I’ll text Rae right now and tell her we call dibs on the lame excuses!”

Laughing, Lexa shook her head. She hadn’t been late to Abby’s for Christmas since their first year dating. And that year it hadn’t been her fault. Clarke’s enthusiasm that morning pulled Lexa into another world filled with whispered promises and teasing kissing and touches that made her skin feel as if she were on fire.

“Can I give you one of your presents now?” Lexa asked suddenly, dropping her fork to her plate.

“You want to skip the food and go to the presents?”

Shaking her head, Lexa stood up quickly, “I just want to give you the one I’m most excited for. Then we can finish eating. I can’t wait to give this to you.”

Before Clarke could ask another question, Lexa bolted to the living room. She returned much faster than a pregnant woman should have been able to move. She sat next to Clarke at the table, sliding the rectangular box toward her wife with a beaming smile.

“You went over budget,” Clarke rolled her eyes.

“I’m not sorry,” Lexa planted a kiss on her cheek, smiling when Clarke leaned into her.

They sat like that for a few minutes, Clarke’s hand lifting to thread through the baby hairs at the back of her neck, holding her close. Lexa’s forehead rested against the side of Clarke’s head. Their eyes closed and they just… breathed.

When Lexa left another kiss on her cheek and sat back, Clarke winked at her, “Wait right here, I have something for you too.”

A minute later, Clarke was sliding a box toward Lexa.

“I guess you went over too?” Lexa teased.

“I don’t know who we were kidding when we set that budget,” Clarke laughed and grabbed her gift. “On three?”

After counting and tearing into the paper, they paused to meet each other’s eyes again. With another quick kiss, they popped the boxes open.

“A mother’s necklace!” Lexa gasped. An infinity sign, just like the one on tattooed on the back on her neck! Only, instead of dots where her tattoo was broken, there were four gemstones. “Emerald, sapphire, topaz, topaz.”

“Looks like we had the same idea,” Clarke grinned at her gift. Hers looked more like two ribbons dangling from the chain, the ends open. One side with diamonds the whole length and the other, “emerald, sapphire, topaz, topaz.”

After setting her gift on the table, Lexa took Clarke’s out of the box and motioned for her to turn around. She worked the clasp gently, securing the necklace to her wife’s neck before kissing the back of her shoulder. Then, she turned so Clarke could help her.

“We’ve probably jinxed us,” Clarke whispered, her lips pressed to Lexa’s ear. She slid her hands around to Lexa’s belly and splayed her fingers, holding her family in her arms. “I know you’re due on the 28th but now you probably won’t have them until after New Years.”

“You think?” Lexa replied, leaning her head against Clarke’s.

At her teasing tone, Clarke narrowed her eyes. Then she slid out of her chair and onto the floor between Lexa’s legs. “You know something.”

“I’ve been in active labor since I woke up,” Lexa nodded. She barely held back the laughs bubbling her chest when Clarke’s face turned white. She cupped her face and kissed her soundly, not pulling away until she felt her wife’s lips responding. “Love, I’ve called the doctor. She said we should go in when the contractions last 30 to 60 seconds and are 3 to 4 minutes apart.”

“And?” Clarke croaked. “It’s for real this time?”

“We aren’t there yet,” Lexa assured her. She planted another kiss on her mouth and smiled when Clarke’s eyes grew round. “Soon, but not yet.”

“Babies?”

Throwing her head back, Lexa laughed. Her wife was all kinds of stoic in the worst of situations but whenever Lexa was in danger of pain, her brilliant mind went blank. Of course Clarke was thrilled at the idea of having their children in their arms but if Lexa knew her wife, she was thinking about Lexa going through labor.

“I’m sorry, babe,” Clarke pressed her face against Lexa’s belly.

“I chose this too,” Lexa reminded her. She lifted Clarke’s chin until she could see her face. “Now let’s open presents. We’ll see where the contracts are at in a little while.”

****

They hardly made it through the gifts. They were in the hospital, in the private room Abby had secured for them, two hours later. Friends had sent texts of good wishes and, in Raven’s case, an announcement that everyone owed her $20 because she won the pool.

Clarke tried to hide her nerves. But that was her beloved wife in that hospital bed, wincing and clenching her jaw at the pain of the contractions.

“Breathe,” Clarke reminded her, keeping her voice low and pressing her lips to Lexa’s ear.

“If you tell me to breathe one more time, I’m going to pull a Parent Trap on you,” Lexa gritted her teeth.

“The girls aren’t identical,” Clarke chuckled, wiping at Lexa’s sweat soaked forehead. “They may not figure it all out and bring us back together.”

"Maybe that's the way I want it!" Lexa snapped. Then her scowl turned to tears, “I’m sorry, love! I didn’t mean – ”

“I know, babe,” Clarke hushed her. She gave her a quick kiss, only pulling away when Lexa’s lips pulled back with a hiss.

And so it went for seven more hours. The doctors were pleasantly surprised by Lexa. She hardly yelled and rarely cursed, instead she told Clarke over and over again how much she loved her and how thankful she was that they found each other.

After the births, and everyone was checked out and cleaned up, the family of four found themselves alone for the first time. Clarke watched Lexa nurse the tiny blonde baby while she held her little mini-Lexa to her own bare chest.

Knocking on the door, Abby peeked inside, “Can I come in?”

“Yes,” Lexa replied, never taking her eyes off her daughter.

“The others are waiting to come in,” Abby told them, smiling widely and holding back tears. “I told them they’d get about 5 minutes and then they’d have to head home. I guess being the Chief here means I can bend visiting hours for my grandbabies.”

When the baby in her arms fell asleep, Lexa covered herself and turned to her mother-in-law, “Can you let the others know they can come in?”

Soon, the room was filled with their friends. Abby was holding the brown haired girl, showing her off to Octavia, while Anya cooing at the blonde in Raven’s arms.

“Do we have names yet?” Raven asked. She kissed the baby’s forehead, inhaling that sweet baby scent as she did so.

“You’re holding Augustia Jane” Lexa replied. She smiled when Anya turned and grinned at her, “Don’t tell Dad. He doesn’t know.”

Nodding, Clarke took her light-haired daughter from Raven, “And this is Jaclyn Alexandria.”

Tears quickly flooded Abby’s eyes as she whispered, “Jake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Again, I'm not sure if there will be another one out today. I'm going to try though! Keep your eyes peeled for it just in case!


	19. Color-coded Christmas Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time ever, Anya gets to decorate her own tree without the chaos of Clarke and Lexa's help. She's also celebrating her first holidays with her girlfriend, Raven. But Anya's idea of a beautifully decorated tree don't line up with Raven's and a bit of trouble ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Tree decorating (bonus points if one of them is doing it completely wrong OMG why am I in love with you) 
> 
>  
> 
> AN: There will definitely be another one-shot out today!! I don't have to work so I have time to get one written!! Keep your eyes out!!

It was almost painful for Raven to watch Anya decorate the Christmas tree. She couldn’t figure out if her girlfriend was purposefully trying to group the ornaments by color and size or if it was some new obsessive behavior Anya had never exhibited before. It had been nearly an hour since they started decorating the house and honestly, Raven had watched more than she’d helped.

“Um… babe?” she said softly, not wanting to startle the woman dancing to Christmas music on the ladder. Why had they picked such a massive tree?

“Yes?”

Approaching slowly, Raven reached up to gently tap one of the neon blue ornaments, “Any reason you’re color coding the tree?”

“Huh?” Anya quirked a brow. She leaned back, almost falling off the ladder in the process.

“I know this is our first Christmas tree, like, _together_ together and all but your trees never looked like this before,” Raven pointed out.

Jumping down from the top rung of the ladder, Anya took in her handiwork. It looked more than alright to her. Pretty and organized, just how she liked it. She smiled when she saw it was clear of all the clutter Clarke and Lexa had insisted on for the last three years.

“I think it looks pretty,” Anya shrugged. She tried, and nearly succeeded in keeping the pleased smile off her face.

“Of course it does!” Raven insisted, rushing to reassure her. The last thing she wanted to do was insult her girlfriend during their first holiday season as a couple. “It’s just…”

Shoulders falling, Anya sighed, “You don’t like it?”

“No! I… It’s just…” Raven scrambled to recover from her misstep. She might as well have been grasping at straws though. Nothing was coming to her. “It isn’t that I don’t like it. I just think the ornaments should maybe…”

When she trailed off again, Anya arched a brow, “Needs to be what?”

“Uh…” Raven blinked at her. Every warning system in her body was telling her to turn back. To retrace her steps down the path she was currently on and start the conversation all over again. But really, for a genius, Raven could be really dumb sometimes. She cleared her throat, “Maybe it could be less organized?”

“You think it’s too organized?” Anya asked, eyeing the tree with a critical eye.

Pointing back at the section of neon blue, which was perfectly aligned with the bright orange, Raven nodded. They were lined up with the smallest in a neat little row just above the medium sized, and ending with the largest. “I love the enthusiasm, babe. I do. It’s just…”

“Well if you don’t like how I’m doing it,” Anya stood a little straighter and clenched her jaw, “you should probably just do it by yourself!”

“That isn’t what I meant!” Raven called after her. She moved quickly and caught Anya’s wrist. “I just want to make sure it’s what you meant to do.”

Glaring at her, Anya asked, “Why wouldn’t it be what I meant to do?”

“Most people don’t color-code their tree,” Raven smiled and chuckled.

“I like to be organized,” Anya pouted. Then, as if she realized was she was doing, she clenched her jaw and looked away. She was never one to show weakness.

Nodding, Raven looped her arms around Anya’s shoulders. She pulled her closer, burying one of her hands in the baby hair at the base of her neck. She grinned at the pout on those lips she often found herself preoccupied by. After a minute or two, Anya’s shoulders relaxed and her arms wrapped around Raven’s waist.

“Babe?” Raven said softly, moving just a fraction closer so their bodies were touching.

“Yeah?”

Stretching up to catch that still pouting mouth in a gentle kiss, Raven smiled, “If you want a color-coded tree, we’ll have one. I can work with this.”

“You can?” Anya’s pout shifted into a shy smile. “Lexa and Clarke always made the tree so chaotic. I hated it!”

“Your nerdiness is well hidden but…” Raven smiled and kissed her again, “it is one of the things I love most about you.”

There was one word in that simple declaration that had Anya’s eyes widening in shock. She blushed and pulled Raven closer, “You love me?”

“I really do. Even though you’re obviously a nerd.”

“Your nerd?” Anya asked.

A single nod, and a hard kiss, gave her Raven’s answer. Anya didn’t even hesitate to move her hands to the backs of her girlfriend’s thighs, lifting her easily. She smiled at Raven’s squeak of surprise and kissed her harder.

“I love you too,” Anya whispered.

“Bed!” Raven ordered, nibbling at her neck and shoulder.

****

Two hours and twenty-three minutes later, a very satisfied Raven sat bolt upright in Anya’s bed. Her movement startled her equally pleased and relaxed girlfriend.

“Raves?” Anya’s voice was muffled by the pillow she’d buried her head in after their third round.

“I have an idea!” Raven clapped before she pressed a kiss to the love bite she’d left on the back of Anya’s right shoulder.

Whining, Anya tried to catch her as she scrambled out of bed, “How do you have any energy?”

“Sex is like… how I recharge my batteries!” Raven proclaimed. She pulled her underwear on and snatched up Anya’s discarded shirt. She pulled her disheveled hair back up into her signature ponytail and grinned at Anya. She was barely able to keep one eye open. “You sleep, babe.”

Anya considered her for a moment, “don’t blow up my house.”

“I would never!”

“Not on purpose,” Anya muttered.

Laughing, Raven leaned down to kiss her shoulder again. She danced back when she felt Anya reaching for her. “You just get your rest, I have an idea I think you’ll love!’

“I love you,” Anya yawned and settled further into the bed.

Grinning, Raven’s heart burst with the knowledge she could say it back, so she did, “I love you too. Sleep now! I’ll wake you when I’ve finished!”

****

It was near dawn when Anya woke up. The bed next to her, where Raven usually slept, was cold. She stretched and smiled at the ceiling. She’d never have guessed that a little disagreement about a Christmas tree would lead to Raven telling her she loved her.

She heard a curse from the living room and sat up. Had Raven been awake all night?

“Raves?”

“Don’t come out here!” Raven shouted back.

The edge of panic in her voice had Anya climbing out of bed, “Raven?”

“Nothing to worry about. No booms! No flames!” Raven called back, trying to reassure her. “No blood either. It’s all good. I’m nearly finished. Just stay there!”

So Anya did as asked. She sat back down on her bed after getting dressed in a tank top and sweats. And she waited. For nearly an hour. Just as she was sure she’d lose all patience, she heard Raven calling for her.

“What’s going on?” Anya asked as she entered the living room.

She’d been a little worried Raven had redone the tree or something. Not that it was a big deal. She just liked her organized tree. But it looked the same.

“Stand over hear,” Raven pointed to the floor next to her.

“Why are the lights off?” Anya asked as she moved to the designated spot. “And why are the curtains drawn?”

Rolling her eyes, Raven kissed her to get her to stop her questions. She smiled into the kiss when Anya let out a soft hum. “Let me show you.”

Handing her phone to her girlfriend, Raven told her to pick a song. Anya looked at the playlist of over fifty songs, “There’s a lot of Christmas music here.”

“Just pick one,” Raven replied, nudging her with her elbow. “Any one of them.”

A quick scroll through had Anya choosing _Winter Wonderland_. She was about to ask Raven why they were standing in a dark room listening to Christmas music when the first of the lights lit up. Then another.

“Dancing lights?” Anya smiled from ear to ear.

“I reorganized the lights on the tree to fight the bulbs you put on. I may have knocked a few off so you’ll have to fix them. But now the lights and the ornaments line up,” Raven explained, dancing subtly to the music playing from the Bluetooth speaker on the mantel. “And the songs will dance to any of those songs. I programed the app into your phone too, so you can watch the pretty lights even when I’m not here.”

Laughing, Anya pulled Raven into a tight hug. She kissed her face over and over again. When she moved away, just enough to study Raven’s face in the dancing lights, she was beaming, “I love you.”

“I know,” Raven winked, then she yawned. “Take me back to bed. I want to cuddle and take a nap!”

“Yesterday you made fun of me for my organized tree and now you’ve organized the lights and make me a dancing tree,” Anya shook her head. How had she ever gotten so lucky?

Raven nodded, “I did. Because I knew it’d make my nerd happy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: There will definitely be another one-shot out today!! I don't have to work so I have time to get one written!! Keep your eyes out!!


	20. Christmas Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Lexa really wants is for her wife to come home to her. She's proud of Clarke and her service but Christmas is meant to be a time for loved ones to be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: How about another role reversal, people always write Lexa as the one in the military.. How about Clarke this time. She's been gone on tour and has told Lexa she can't get back in time. But Anya and Raven are in on her surprise. While Lexa is throwing their annual Christmas party, Clarke shows up and it goes from there. Maybe a renewal of their vows, Clarke telling Lexa she's home for good? (Given by Shepard7276)
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Told you there'd be another one today!! I just don't think any of us thought it'd be this quick...

The holidays were never easy when you’re away from the one you love. Even the small holidays seemed to take their toll on Lexa when was away, which was often. The big ones though? Those killed Lexa. She had grown to dread December altogether.

She still decorated, of course. Clarke would be upset if she ever heard of a Christmas where Lexa didn’t deck their house out. The Griffin-Woods household had a reputation to protect after all. Their neighborhood was beyond competitive when it came to their holiday displays.

Given that nearly all of Clarke and Lexa’s friends had managed to buy plots in the subdivision when it was still being built, they knew Raven would go all out. The number of times Anya had stormed over to her sister’s house and scolded Lexa and Clarke for some new contraption that Raven just _had_ to top was astronomical. And Octavia? She may not have been the handiest or creative woman ever but she was too competitive by half!

That year was no different. Although Lexa had recruited her little brother, Aden, to help put everything together. He’d even come up with a new design for the carousel Clarke had always wanted. Then he’d ‘borrowed’ Raven’s tools to build it. She sister-in-law had pouted for days over that one.

All that was missing from the fun was Clarke. Or, as she was known by her employer, Captain Clarke Griffin of the United States Marine Corp. Clarke had been in the Marines when Lexa met her. She’d followed in her mother’s footsteps, paying for medical school by joining. When they’d married, Clarke wore her dress uniform, well aware of the things it did to Lexa.

Even when Clarke warned her about the long periods of time they’d be apart, Lexa had sworn she was in the relationship for the long haul. She hadn’t doubted their odds since then. Clarke promised she’d understand if the year-long deployments were too much, if Lexa was too lonely. Lexa had rolled her eyes each and every time.

The one big difference with that year though was the lack of communication. Clarke had been sent to some remote base in some country Lexa wasn’t allow to know about. So emails and the occasional phone call was all they’d had.

“You okay?” Aden asked, clapping a hand down on her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“I’m fine. Just thinking,” Lexa nodded. She looked around the yard one last time. Everything was ready for the party.

It was the one tradition Lexa hated following through with without Clarke there. They held a huge party at their house on Christmas Eve for their friends. That way they could call exchange gifts and reminisce without disturbing Christmas morning for the children.

“I wish Clarke was here,” Aden said, his voice cracking a little.

Lexa smirked, puberty was kind to Aden in some ways, he was gaining inches faster than anyone could comprehend, but in others, like his voice cracking every other word, not so much. But he was with her all the time, making sure she never got too lonely, so Lexa never teased him about it. Not out loud anyway.

“Can we go and get the groceries now?” He asked. Checking the time on his phone, he sighed, “We only have a few hours until everyone gets here. So we have to go and get the food and cook everything.”

“Are we slacking this year?” Lexa asked, unable to let his incessant need to be on time go without a remark.

Nodding, Aden shoved her gently toward her car, “Let’s go! Food waits for no man!”

“I don’t think that’s how that quote goes,” Lexa replied.

****

Nearly an hour and a half later, Lexa and Aden were unloading her car. For someone in a hurry, Aden certainly had taken his time! Lexa practically had to drag him out of the store.

“How are we meant to make all this in an hour?” Lexa asked, huffing when she set the bags down on the kitchen counter.

“You do the pizzas and I’ll do the steaks,” Aden answered. His easy tone told Lexa he’d been planning the entire trip home. He started emptying the bags, “While the steaks are on the grill, I’ll peel the potatoes for the fries and mashed potatoes. IT isn’t hard, Lexa.”

Rolling her eyes, Lexa nodded, “Says the kid who rushed me to the store.”

****

They only had a few minutes left until everyone would start arriving. Lexa checked her hair one last time in the mirror. She sighed, taking in her reflection. Getting ready was always so much more fun when Clarke was there.

“Hey!” Anya knocked on her door. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, “Octavia and Lincoln are here. And I saw Monty and Harper pulling in too. You ready?”

“Yeah,” Lexa nodded. She turned off the light and headed toward the door.

Anya moved to block her path, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she insisted. Her eyes dropping to the floor told a different story.

“Lexa, come on. You know I won’t let you leave this room until you tell me,” Anya took her shoulders in her hands and squeezed.

Groaning, Lexa shook her head, “There’s nothing to do. I just miss my wife. I want Clarke home!”

“Isn’t she due home in a few weeks?” Anya asked.

“Yeah, but for how long?” Lexa snapped. Taking a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to… I just want her home. I’m ready to have my wife around permanently.”

Anya nodded and pulled her into a hug, “I get that. And you should tell Clarke. She’s due to re-up soon isn’t she? And in line for an early promotion?”

“She loves her job,” Lexa shook her head. “I can’t ask her to give it up.”

“I think Clarke loves you more,” Anya replied.

Sighing, Lexa stepped back. She wiped at her eyes with her fingertips. Without words, she allowed Anya to fix her make-up. Then she plastered a smile to her face, “let’s get this party going.

So they did. Aden and Anya helped her play hostess. They organized the drinks and when the time came to do the gift exchange, they helped get everyone’s attention. And later, when it was time to play games, they helped make sure everything went smoothly and certain people (Jasper) weren’t getting stupid drunk and ruining furniture.

“Where’s Cards Against Humanity?” Harper asked as the clock neared 10.

“In the guest room closet I think,” Lexa replied. When Harper started toward the stairs, Lexa waved her off, “I’ll get it. I need to change into something more comfortable anyway.”

After a quick wardrobe change, Lexa headed down the hall to the guest room. Just as she reached for the doorknob, a panting Raven appeared next to her.

“What’re you doing?” she asked.

“Just getting Cards Against Humanity,” Lexa replied. She tried to open the door but Raven smoothly slid between her and it. “What’re you doing?”

Smiling and shrugging, Raven said, “I’ll get the game, you go and make sure Aden isn’t burning the pie he just put back in the oven so he could warm it up.”

“He better not have!” Lexa growled, turning around and running down the stairs, shouting for her brother.

He had indeed put the apple pic back in the oven. Lexa had nearly bitten her tongue in half in her effort to not shout at him. He’d been trying to help. She couldn’t fault him for that.

When midnight hit, her friends dispersed. Except for Jasper, who was asleep on the couch. It was tradition. Jasper nearly always fell asleep during the party and would eat Christmas breakfast with Lexa, and Clarke if she was home.

“I’ll get him a blanket,” Lexa told Anya as she and Raven prepared to leave.

“No!” Raven shouted as she hurried up the stairs behind her.

Again, Raven stopped Lexa from entering the guest bedroom. Of course, that made Lexa more suspicious than ever.

“Why won’t you let me in there?” Lexa asked, her eyes narrowed.

“No reason,” Raven replied. She threw in a shrug too, but it was anything but nonchalant. “Anya and I are dropping Jasper off at his parent’s house on our way home.”

That had Lexa crossing her arms over her chest and arching a brow, “You live right next door. Jasper’s parents live on the other side of town.”

“We’re taking the scenic route,” Anya yelled from the bottom of the stairs. “Can we go now? He’s not as light as he looks!”

With a wink and kiss on the cheek, Raven hurried around Lexa and out of sight. Lexa barely managed to get a shouted goodbye from her sister before the door slammed shut behind them.

****

Falling asleep as soon as she laid down, that was Lexa’s favorite part about the Christmas Eve tradition. Planning the party, throwing the party, making sure her friends all had a safe way home, cleaning everything up, all of that helped her get to the point of exhaustion where she didn’t spend hours in bed wishing for Clarke’s arms around her.

Usually she slept until eight or nine in the morning on Christmas Day when her wife was gone. But that morning, she woke up before the sun was up. Out of a deep sleep, Lexa felt herself jerk awake.

She stayed in bed for a minute, trying to figure out what had disturbed her. Then she heard a sound coming from the living room. A thud and a muttered curse. She’d have thought it was Aden scoping out his gifts but she could hear him snoring in his room. Another thud had her sitting up. The third had her grabbing her old softball bat from her closet and sneaking downstairs.

She could just make out the intruder’s shape in the pitch black living room. Waiting until they stood still, Lexa flipped the lights on and hauled the bat back to swing.

“Why do you insist on moving all the furniture around every Christmas Eve?” Clarke groaned, rubbing at her shin. “I just wanted to get in bed with you. But no. You have to move the coffee table to where we usually walk. And, as always, you don’t put it back before going to bed. Every freaking Christmas, Lex!”

“Clarke?” Lexa gasped and dropped the bat. Tears instantly formed in her eyes.

With a yelp, Clarke rubbed at her other shin, where the knob had knocked her. She muttered under her breath.

“How?” Lexa asked, cupping her wife’s face and pulling her upright.

“You really didn’t figure out I was in the guest room?” Clarke asked, her voice and eyes going soft.

Shaking her head, Lexa laughed, “No! I just thought Raven was being weird! How long were you in there?”

“Just a couple of hours,” Clarke slowly wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist, pulling until they were pressed together. “I wanted to surprise you after everyone left.”

“Why? They want to see you too,” Lexa’s thumbs rubbed at Clarke’s cheek bones.

Smirking, Clarke leaned in until her lips were nearly pressed against Lexa’s, “Because if they were here I wouldn’t be able to kiss you how I want to kiss you. It wouldn’t have been polite.”

“Clarke,” Lexa whispered, her eyes jumping from blue eyes to pink lips and back again, “kiss me? Show me you’re really here and not just a figment of my imagination?”

That was all the prompting Clarke needed. She slid one hand up Lexa’s back, pressing between her shoulder blades, the other dipped lower, until her finger tips were just inside the waistband of Lexa’s boxers. Her lips were a little chapped, a hazard of working in the desert, but oh so welcome against Lexa’s.

As beautifully as always, their lips molded together. They fit like puzzle pieces. A shift from one was met with a sigh from the other. A tracing tongue was met with a delicate lick from its partner.

“Bed?” Lexa asked, her hands moving to slip into those blonde locks she loved so much.

“I’ll shower first,” Clarke replied. She kissed away the tears on Lexa's cheeks before adding, “Then yes, bed. All night long.”

Clarke bent down and picked her wife up, carrying her up the stairs like she had when they first married. She grinned when Lexa couldn’t stop kissing her face and neck, anything she could reach.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming home!” Lexa whispered against her ear.

Clarke just winked at her, “I love you, Lex.”

****

The next morning, Lexa woke up to an empty bed. At first, she thought she’d dreamt Clarke coming home. Then she tried to sit up and felt all those delicious muscles only Clarke knew how to make so sore.

“Good morning, love,” Clarke swept into the room. She was carrying a tray of Lexa’s favorite breakfast foods. She set the tray down before leaning in for a fierce kiss. “God, I have missed doing that. We should do that more.”

“Whenever you want,” Lexa replied with a wink. “I love you, Clarke Woods.”

Laughing, Clarke climbed in next to her, “I love you, Lexa Griffin.”

“It’s a good thing you guys hyphenated,” Aden yelled from his room. “Also, I need noise-cancelling headphones!”

“Oh… oh no…” Lexa’s blushed and buried her head in Clarke’s neck.

“He’ll be fine,” Clarke assured her. “Raven and I are turning part of the attic into a room for him. Like a mini master suite.”

Then she was raining kisses on Lexa. They ate quickly, sharing the food and kisses, pausing every few minutes or so to make out. Only the thumping of Aden’s music across the hall had them stopping from going further.

“Can we open gifts now?” Aden shouted.

“You know you can walk over here right?” Clarke yelled back.

A second later, there was a knock on the door. Aden waited for them to tell him to come in before he opened the door. Even then, he had a hand over his eyes.

“Can we open presents?” He asked.

Launching a pillow at his head, Lexa laughed, “Give us five minutes.”

“I don’t want to know where that pillow has been!” Aden shouted, his voice cracking.

“Oh my god!” Clarke’s eyes grew round. She gaped at her brother-in-law, “Why did no one tell me his voice was cracking? I’d have come home so much sooner!”

Aden’s eyes narrowed, “I like Raven more than you.”

“That’s a lie,” Clarke laughed.

“Five minutes, Aden,” Lexa jumped into the conversation.

****

Hours later, it was nearly time to head to Abby’s house for dinner. Aden had already gone to Anya’s house, swearing he’d rather ride with ‘his favorite sister-in-law’ than Clarke.

“I love you!” Clarke shouted after him all the way across the lawn.

“Leave him alone,” Lexa swatted at her shoulder.

Sitting on the couch, they enjoyed their last few quiet minutes. They knew what would happen as soon as they got to Abby’s house. The family would swarm Clarke, hugging and kissing and asking questions. Lexa would be there by her side, holding her hand, running a hand through her hair, just… touching her, but the aunts would glare at the space Lexa took up. In that moment though, in their house, Lexa had her wife to herself.

“I missed you,” Lexa whispered. She kissed her wife’s already swollen lips. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Clarke responded. Then she leaned forward and pulled a present out from underneath the couch. She handed it to Lexa as she spoke, “I already talked to Mom. She isn’t expecting us tonight. We’ll go see her tomorrow. And that…” She pointed at the package, “is my last gift to you this year.”

Lexa carefully slid her finger through the tape, not wanting to hurry through the process of opening the gift. Clarke’s interrupting her to press kisses to her throat or forehead or lips didn’t help either.

Finally, she was holding a portfolio of some sort. She glanced at Clarke, not sure what it meant. When Clarke motioned for her to open it, she did. Then she gasped.

“Clarke?”

“Yes?”

Lexa closed the portfolio and lifted a hand to her lips. She sobbed once before Clarke’s arms wrapped around her tightly. Then she cried. And Clarke cried. It took a while to get those tears out. Then Lexa kissed her, hard.

“You’re home?”

Clarke nodded, wiping the tears from Lexa’s cheeks and kissing her softly, “I’m home. For good. I’m now just plain ol’ Doctor Griffin-Woods.”

Grinning, Lexa shrugged, “I’ll take the downgrade in title if it means I get to keep you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Told you there'd be another one today!! I just don't think any of us thought it'd be this quick...


	21. The Bunny Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Anya are on a trip with their friends. Raven takes it upon herself to teach her girlfriend, who is good at everything, to snowboard. Things don't go quite to plan!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Raven teaches Anya to ski or snowboard. Anya falls nearly every time. (@Littlebuu18)
> 
> A friend gave me this prompt and I've been looking forward to this one since she gave it to me! I heop I did her proud!

Sometimes watching someone fail was easy. Sometimes it was hard. For Raven Reyes, watching her gorgeous, professional athlete girlfriend fail so hard at snowboarding, it was an odd mixture of both.

Anya was good at everything. She could throw a football with a perfect spiral, she could throw herself over a high jump bar set several inches over her head, and, thanks to her job, she could block a soccer ball rocketing toward her head easier than most people can catch a remote control tossed their way. She was smart too. It was easy to see how she graduated with honors from her university studies in political science.

Basically, Anya was perfect in Raven’s eyes.

Except that she couldn’t snowboard. Or ski. Or do anything related to the snow. And no matter how hard Raven tried to think about it, she had no clue how Anya had been able to hide that fact for the entire two years they’d been dating, and the three years they were friends before that.

“You’re putting too much weight on your back foot,” Raven called out as she followed Anya down the bunny hill again.

“Is that a fat joke?” Anya called back.

Rolling her eyes, Raven sighed. When Anya was learning something new, there was no instructing her. She was too stubborn for that. And she was too used to being good at everything to have time to waste on things she wasn’t good at.

“This is like you learning to make pizza all over again,” Raven said just loudly enough for Anya to hear.

That was a mistake. Bringing up the night they’d tried to make homemade pizza. When Raven, who had worked in a pizzeria throughout high school, tried to give Anya tips on how to toss the dough… let’s just say Anya hadn’t been enthused by her directions. It took them hours to get all of the dough off the ceiling.

Trying to turn back to glare at her girlfriend only had Anya falling on her face.

“I told you not to do that,” Raven tried to fight the giggles that bubbled in her throat. She came to a smooth stop next to Anya and sat down. She waited until Anya lifted her head to continue, “That’s how you stop. Turning your board like that.”

“Did you have to bring up my last great failure while I’m sucking at this?” Anya asked, her eyes drilling holes into the snow between them.

“You aren’t failing, you’re learning.”

Anya sighed and rolled her eyes. She pushed herself up onto her knees and then to her feet. The force nearly had her falling backward, but Raven was quick to catch her waist to steady her.

“We can just go back to the cabin,” Raven offered quietly.

“And have Bellamy smirk at me when he gets back from ‘shredding all day’?” Anya snorted in disgust.

Shifting her hands to Anya’s, Raven turned them slightly, “Let me hold you while we go down this time. Watch what I’m doing, fell how I balance.”

They’d tried that method before. It hadn’t been successful. But Anya was willing to try anything. She refused to go back to the cabin with her head down because she couldn’t learn to balance on a stupid board.

Each time they went down the bunny hill, Anya managed to fall at least once. She did have to admit Raven was endlessly patient. She knew her girlfriend had grown up snowboarding and would have preferred being up on the more complicated runs with her friends. Instead, she stayed with Anya.

“You can go,” Anya sighed. She shifted and wiggled to sit on her butt after she’d fallen, and slid down the hill, on her face again. “I know you want to try that new… uh… coarse.”

“Run,” Raven corrected absentmindedly. “And I’d rather spend time with you. I have faith you’ll get the hang of this soon!”

Shaking her head, Anya leaned back on her elbows, “I’m not meant to be a snow bunny.”

Even with her face covered by those obnoxious goggles, Raven’s smirk came through. “That isn’t what snow bunny means.”

“No? What’s it mean then?”

“They’re the girls who come up here to wear the clothes and drink hot chocolate in the lodge. They don’t actually ski or board,” Raven explained. She moved as close to Anya as she could. “You can be my snow bunny though. I think I’d dig that.”

At least Anya could laugh at herself. So she did. She threw her head back and laughed.

Watching her, Raven smiled. Carefree Anya was one of her favorites. In that moment, Anya wasn’t worried about looking like a fool in front of their friends. She was having fun on the slopes with her girlfriend.

“One more time?” Raven asked as she stood, offering a hand to Anya.

Accepting the hand with a sigh, Anya let her pull her to her feet. Then she let Raven slide a little closer and, even with the goggles getting in the way, she smiled against Raven’s lips when she closed the distance between them.

“I love you,” Raven whispered.

“Even when I suck at a sport that you make look so easy?” Anya pouted.

Giggling, Raven kissed her cheek, “Remember how much you enjoyed teaching me to kick soccer balls at you?”

“That was different,” Anya replied.

“How?”

The goggles did next to nothing to hide the blush on Anya’s cheeks when she said, “You were in a sports bra and shorts, Raves. Of course I had fun teaching you to play soccer! How can this be fun for you? I’m all bundled up in, like, a million layers.”

“Oh, is that where your head is?” Raven chuckled and lifted her goggles off her face. She winked at Anya quickly before saying, “Maybe I’m thinking about how much fun I’m going to have in a little while. Taking off all of those layers.”

Before Anya could even think of a retort, Raven was gone. She was moving down the hill with ease, leaning one way, then the other, moving around the people with skill. Without thinking, Anya took off after her.

She only fell once… or three times. By the time she got to the bottom, Raven was back to the top and waiting for her. Grinning the whole way up, she stopped next to her girlfriend.

“It isn’t nice to say things like that and then run away,” Anya pointed out.

“I didn’t run. I was snowboarding,” Raven responded.

“You know what I meant.”

Shrugging, Raven pulled their goggles off both of their faces. She winked again before leaning in, holding her face up for a kiss. Anya gave in immediately. She captured those beautiful lips and tried to pull Raven even closer. It didn’t work, not with both of them strapped to their boards. After nipping at her girlfriend’s bottom lip, Anya pulled back.

“Can we pretend like I’ve learned to do this and that I’m amazing and spend the next four days in our room?” Anya pleaded, her eyes dark.

“No.”

Again, Raven took off before Anya could respond. This time, Anya quickly pulled her boots free from the snowboard she’d spent hours strapped to and took off after her. She ignored the shouts and warnings from the people on the hill, eyes trained on Raven’s back. When she was close enough, she dove.

“Anya!” Raven sputtered as soon as she was sitting upright. She whacked Anya’s shoulder and glared at her, “You could have hurt yourself!”

“I’m fine. And we weren’t done talking,” Anya countered, moving so she was blocking Raven from getting up again. She leaned in close, letting Raven take in the look in her eyes, “I’m going back to the cabin now. I’m going to take a very long, very hot shower. Then I’m going to get into my black bikini and sit in the hot tub until I’m a prune.”

Swallowing thickly, Raven nodded, “That sounds like a nice plan.”

Anya smirked, leaning in for a quick kiss before continuing, “If you want to help me out of these layers, I suggest you join me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	22. Neon Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clexa and Ranya go shopping for Christmas trees. Before they finish, Lexa leaves early so she can put in a motion a plan to surprise Clarke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Clexa and Ranya going out to get their Christmas trees and Clexa arguing over what tree to get in an adorable way. 
> 
> Lexa wanting to show Clarke how much she likes her as more than a best friend (known each other a long time). She knows Clarke is all about traditions, so she puts mistletoe in every room on her house knowing Clarke is coming over to hang out. Figure that could get all cute and stuff. Clarke trying to figure it all out and Lexa loving it lol. (Given by Shepard7276)
> 
> (I actually combined two prompts for this one. Hope you don't mind!)

Somehow, Lexa had agreed to the plan. Anya had proposed to Raven during the summer and wanted to live with her fiancée so Lexa agreed to allow Clarke and Anya to switch apartments. It wasn’t like it was going to be a struggle. Clarke was one of her best friends. But Lexa hadn’t taken her crush into account.

The first big hurdle they’d faced as roommates was Lexa nearly falling over the first time she saw Clarke wrapped in a towel, fresh out of the shower. She’d backed away so quickly she whacked her head on a shelf in her room. She needed 7 stitches. Clarke had hastily dressed in shorts and a hoodie, forgoing a bra. Honestly, Lexa hadn’t been sure whether she had a concussion, she was so lightheaded after feeling Clarke’s breast pressed against her arm when her friend helped her into the hospital she sort of shrugged when the doctor asked her.

The second hurdle was Clarke’s cuddling. At first, Lexa would shy away from her. Clarke was more than a little confused. They’d cuddled during movie nights for the last four years, since they met at sophomores in college. When Lexa moved away from her, her brows crinkled as she waited for an explanation. None came. Instead Lexa sighed and opened her arms for Clarke to settle into her side.

The third came at Christmas time. They went to tree lot with Raven and Anya. Clarke had grown up with artificial, pre-lit trees. Lexa refused to allow one into her apartment.

“Oh,” Clarke huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, “your apartment? I thought I pay rent there too?”

“Sure you do. But I’m not staring at a fake tree for the next month just because its easier for you,” Lexa replied.

Rolling her eyes, Clarke waited a bit before saying, “it isn’t like it isn’t late in the season to even be getting a tree! We should have bought one weeks ago! Right after Thanksgiving!”

“We don’t need to have a tree up for over a month,” Lexa said. She put her hand on the small of Clarke’s back and steered her toward where Anya and Raven were waiting for them. “We’ve got two weeks until Christmas, that’s plenty of time. And I already know you won’t let me take it down until after New Years. So let’s just pick a tree out and get home.”

Clarke stopped in her tracks, “We aren’t going home after this, Lex.”

“Why?” Lexa whined.

“We have to go and get the lights and the ornaments and the garland and the tinsel!”

“No!” Lexa shook her head adamantly. She stood her ground when Clarke tried to pull her along, “No tinsel. You know I hate tinsel!”

Plastering her best innocent smile on her face, Clarke continued to tug on her hand, “it’ll be fine. I won’t cover the whole tree in it. Just some strands for the lights to play off of. Raven even said she – ”

“No way in hell Raven is getting anywhere near my tree!” Lexa gasped, pulling her hands free. She glared over Clarke’s shoulder at her future sister-in-law, “I don’t care what you told her, Reyes! You’re not messing with my Christmas tree!”

“Our tree,” Clarke corrected quietly. She looked up at Lexa through her lashes, “It’s our tree. And we have to work to combine our traditions.”

That soft look melted Lexa’s defenses instantaneously. She visibly deflated as she sighed, “Fine. You can have your tinsel. But I draw the line at Raven messing with electronics at my – no, our home.”

“I can live with that,” Clarke smiled. She pressed a kiss to Lexa’s cheek, smiling when Lexa sighed again, “let’s pick out a tree then.”

****

It took them a few hours but they found a tree they agreed on. For the longest time, Lexa would find one she liked and Clarke would say no. Or Clarke would say she loved one and Lexa would find fault.

Too tall.

Too short.

Too fat.

Too thin.

Too bare.

Too dry.

It took Raven groaning and insisting they just pick one before she made one of them go boom!

How any of them thought picking out lights and ornaments would go any better, Lexa never knew. She liked white lights while Clarke like colored. Lexa wanted to keep it simple with just red and greed lights while Clarke wanted to buy the neon bulbs. The only thing the agreed on was the color of the garland and tinsels, just plain silver.

“If you’re going to do what you’ve planned,” Anya caught her sister by her elbow so they could drop back, out of hearing range, “you’ll have to leave soon.”

“Can you guys keep her occupied?”

Rolling her eyes, Anya shoved her toward the door, “Go. Monty and Octavia are waiting for you.”

Lexa took a step toward Clarke to let her know she was leaving. Then she turned back to her sister, “What if we’re wrong? What if I read too much into everything?”

“You’re being dumb.”

“You are not helpful sometimes,” Lexa sighed.

Another shove, this time toward Clarke, and Anya was saying, “We’re not wrong. Everyone agreed. Just go.”

Steadying herself with a deep breath, Lexa approached her best friend, “Hey.”

“Hey!” Clarke held up a package of a dozen bulbs, all brightly colored. “What about these?”

“They’re just like the others you’ve shown me. If they’re what you want, I’m okay with it,” Lexa sighed. Her lips lifted in a smile when Clarke squealed at her acceptance. “I’m going to head out. I got a call from the station. A suspect was asking for me by name.”

“Oh…” Clarke’s grin dropped slowly as Lexa spoke.

Pulling her into a hug, Lexa squeezed her, “I’ll be home in an hour or two. It’s probably just someone trying to cut a deal. A few questions and some paper work. I might even beat you home.”

“You’re sure?”

Lexa nodded, “don’t decorate without me.”

“Of course not!” Clarke looked offended by the very suggestion.

****

Two hours later, Lexa was bidding goodbye to Octavia, Monty, and Lincoln. They’d come over to help them prepare a surprise. Lexa pressed her hand to her fluttering stomach, pulling in a deep breath.

The key in the lock on the door sounded like thunder to Lexa’s ears. Her eyes dropped toward the knob, which was turning in slow motion. She had to take a step back for the door to open.

“Hey!” Clarke smiled brightly. “I just saw Linc and O outside. They said they walked you home. That was nice of them.”

Lexa took the bags from Clarke’s hands so she could take her coat off. Clarke kept chattering about the rest of her evening out with Anya and Raven. She took the bags back and headed toward the living room. She kept chatting even after she’d glanced at the fully decorated tree. It seemed to take a few minutes before she froze and turned back.

“Lex?”

“Yes?”

Clarke spun in a circle, taking in the decorations. The tree, decorated exactly how Clarke liked it. The walls and windows were covered in decorations. Then something caught her eye. Her brows drew together as she eyes bounced from green spot to green spot on the ceiling.

“Lex?”

“Yes, Clarke?” Lexa’s voice cracked slightly.

Turning to face her best friend, Clarke smiled, “What is all of this?”

“You love Christmas more than I do. I just… tolerate it, I guess. So if this is how you want to spend our Christmas, this is how we’ll spend it,” Lexa shrugged. She could feel the blush rising up her neck to her cheeks. She rubbed the back of her neck as she stared at the floor.

“And the mistletoe?”

Smiling, Lexa’s eyes lifted to Clarke, “I wanted to make sure one of my Christmas wishes finally came true.”

“What wish?”

Instead of answering, Lexa stepped forward and lifted her hands to cup Clarke’s face. She studied her eyes, looking for a sign that she’d read everything so wrong. She saw a smile instead, one that lit up blue eyes.

Leaning down, Lexa pressed her lips against Clarke’s. She felt a moment of hesitation, it was nearly enough for her to pull away. Then Clarke was holding her hips and pulling her closer. Lexa’s hands slid into Clarke’s hair, cupping the back of her head. She pulled back slightly, taking a slow breath and watching Clarke’s eyes flutter open.

The sight of Clarke’s blown pupils had Lexa smirking before tilting her head, brushing the tip of her nose against Clarke’s, and diving in for another kiss. She let one hand drop to Clarke’s waist to hold her closer. She grinned into the kiss when she felt hands on her back, fingers splayed wide.

When they finally separated, Lexa was smiling and Clarke looked dazed but happy.

“Took you long enough,” Clarke whispered, her hands holding on to the sides of Lexa’s shirt. She smiled and kissed Lexa’s cheek, “So long!”

“As if you made it easy for me,” Lexa quipped.

Clarke only smiled and nodded, “I’m sure you confused me as much as I confused you.”

Laughing, Lexa pulled Clarke with her to show her all the decorations. The dancing lights on the tree. The blocks that had seasonal phrases painted on them. The neon ornaments of various sizes that Clarke adored.

They paused under every mistletoe for soft, sweet kisses.

Once they were on the couch, Clarke was settled in Lexa’s arms. She played with Lexa’s fingers as she asked, “What does this mean?”

“What does what mean?”

“Are we just roommates who kiss? Roommates who hook up?” Clarke questioned.

Smiling against the top of Clarke’s head, Lexa rolled her eyes, “You’re ridiculous. Clarke Griffin, I like you. More than a best friend should. So I’d like to take you on a date.”

“We have date nights all the time,” Clarke pointed out.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Lexa maneuvered them until she could see Clarke’s eyes again. She held up a small wrapped gift, “I know we still have a couple of weeks until Christmas but I have a gift I’d like you to open.”

No one could ever claim Clarke Griffin was one to turn down a gift. She pressed a quick kiss to the corner of Lexa’s lips as she took the package. She unwrapped it quickly, gasping when she saw what was inside. An ornament. A silver heart with a picture of them inside. Along the outside, ‘Our First Christmas’ was etched.

“We’ve celebrated Christmas together before,” Clarke said quietly.

“I’m hoping this year, I’ll be able to call you my girlfriend,” Lexa whispered. She shook her head when Clarke started to speak, “I know it’s fast. We haven’t even talked about… any of this. But I like you. In fact, I love you. I’m in love with you. I have been for years. And now, I want to do something about.”

Blushing and smiling, Clarke responded, “Girlfriend? And you love me?”

“Yes. I do.”

“You may take your time getting somewhere, Woods,” Clarke said, positively grinning at her. “But geez, when you get there. You go all out.”

Dropping her head, Lexa smiled at their joined hands, “I want to be the one to make you happy.”

“I want to call you mine,” Clarke said as she lifted Lexa’s chin, so she could see those green eyes. “I love you too. You’re my Lex.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	23. Neon Christmas 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation of 'Neon Christmas'. It's set several years down the road. Now Clexa is married and Clarke is pregnant. One night, when she finally manages to fall in a deep sleep, Lexa tries to find ways to keep the baby calm so Clarke can keep sleeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Clexa having tried to get pregnant for a while with no luck. Finally Clarke does. Xmas Eve, they are laying by the tree. Clarke is asleep but is talking in her sleep about how much she loves Lexa and the baby. Baby is getting restless and Lexa knows how little sleep Clarke has been getting. So she talks and starts to sing Christmas songs to her unborn child softly. Baby settles down and Clarke scares her saying I never knew you could sing like that, as Lexa refused to sing, embarrassed for some reason. (given by Shepherd7276)

Lexa was never really sure how it happened. Somehow she’d ended up convincing her best friend to become her girlfriend. They’d started out slowly, neither sure what they would do if they were wrong about their feelings. But then, one date turned to two and then three and more, one week and silly gifts turned to diamonds rings and vows.

At the age of 27, she and Clarke were about to become parents for the first time. It was a decision they’d agonized over. They knew they wanted to be parents but how? Adoption? Lexa had always been adamant that she’d adopt at some point and Clarke agreed without hesitation. But for their first, they both wanted that experience of first time parenthood. The pregnancy, the cravings, the hormones, the swollen feet, even the pain of labor.

All they’d really had to do was decide who would carry the baby. It ultimately came down to a coin toss. Clarke won.

Now, on the 3rd anniversary of their first kiss and 1st wedding anniversary, Lexa could barely stand to take her eyes off her wife. Clarke was amazingly pregnant. Like glowing from within and all of that. It amazed Lexa every single day.

Somehow it had become their tradition to lay under the tree and look up at the lights. The app Raven had created for them, to make the lights dance to any song, made it especially enjoyable. When they tired of watching the lights blink in time to ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Silent Night’ they switched over to their normal music and watched all over again.

On their anniversary, when the clock was growing closer and closer to midnight, Lexa found herself under the tree with her sleeping 8 month pregnant wife. She noticed Clarke shift in her sleep, just a twitch, but Lexa knew what it meant. The little one was moving.

At first, all Lexa did was place her hand on her stomach. Their little girl stilled for a moment but then started right back up again. Sighing, Lexa shifted until she was up on an elbow, her free hand rubbing small circles over the squirming child.

“Hey now,” She whispered. She kissed Clarke’s belly. “Your mom is sleeping. You’ve been keeping her up until all hours of the night. Let her rest now.”

At the sound of Lexa’s voice, the baby stilled again. When she stopped talking, the baby started shifting again.

“Hey, come on now! What did I just say?” Lexa scolded playfully. She pressed more kisses to Clarke’s stomach. She smiled against her skin when she felt a tiny hand pressing back. “So you want to hear a story then? Your mom always tells me how much you like my voice. I wasn’t sure I believed her. So what would you like to hear?”

Taking a moment, Lexa continued to press kisses and rub circles. Then she grinned.

“How about the first time I saw your mom in a towel?” Lexa giggled at the memory. Then she sighed, her memory filling her mind’s eye, “We’d only been living together for a week I think. I was minding my own business, heading to the kitchen from my room, when out of nowhere came Mom. Well… not out of nowhere. Out of the bathroom. She didn’t know what time I was going to be back from the gym and she’d forgotten to grab a change of clothes from her room before her shower.

Now, it’s important that you know I was already in love with your mom at that point. Like… head over heels, catch myself drooling, get lost in daydreams in love. And as smooth as I was known to be with the ladies, your mom was different. She was the first to make me want more.”

Lexa stopped when Clarke shifted in her sleep. She grimaced and twisted a little until she was on her side, her back to Lexa. When she was certain Clarke was still asleep, Lexa started talking again.

“Your mom, she made me want so much more than what I’d had. So I worked to be better. I wanted to be enough. And somehow, she seems to think I’m the best thing to ever happen to her,” Lexa smiled. She thought about Clarke’s teasing and smiles and even her grumpy face. She loved them all equally. “So anyway… I got home from the gym and still had my headphones when I got inside. When I left my room to go to the kitchen to get some water, out of the bathroom came Clarke, I mean Mom.

She was only in a towel! Now, you haven’t figured this out yet, but Mama is hopelessly gay. Especially for Mom. Luckily, Clarke, I mean Mom, hadn’t seen me. She didn’t see my choke on my own tongue and never trip over my own two feet. Instead, as I backed away I trip over my own gym bag and stumbled a bit and then fell. I hit my head on a shelf on the way down.”

Lexa paused then, wincing at the memories of the pain shooting through her head but smiling at what she knew came next. She'd eben silent for a few minutes when the baby kicked again. Like she knew there was more to it than that.

“Okay, okay,” Lexa sighed. “Yes, Mom did tell me not to put that shelf there. And yes, she’d been telling me not to leave my bag where I usually did. Turns out she was right.

So I’m on my floor, glaring at the ceiling and Clarke-in-just-a-towel appeared over me. I thought I’d died. Instead, Mom got dressed in a hurry, forgetting to put on bra which did not help helplessly-gay-Mama out at all! And she took me to the ER. I’m pretty sure she pressed her boob against me even though she denies it. I got 7 stitches that night. A well-earned scar for the amount of Clarke Griffin I got to – ”

Suddenly, Lexa cleared her throat. “You don’t need to hear about the rest of that.”

She waited for a few minutes, certain the baby had fallen back to sleep or was resting or whatever it was that babe did when they were in the womb. Just as she started to move her hand and slide away from Clarke, the baby kicked again.

Groaning, Lexa settled next to her wife again. As if she sensed Lexa’s distress, Clarke turned to her back and sighed in her sleep.

“How about a song then?” Lexa asked, her voice barely a whisper. She took the answering kick to mean yes.

She grabbed her phone and selected her Christmas playlist. It was that time of year, it only seemed fitting to sing a song about the holiday. So she chose her favorite, ‘Silent Night’, and pressed.

Leaning in over Clarke, Lexa nearly had her lips pressed to Clarke’s belly as she sang the words softly. The baby kicked a few times throughout the song, no matter if Lexa sang loudly or softly.

She ended up singing two more songs, ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Winter Wonderland’. By the end of the third song, she hadn’t felt more than a flutter from the baby in 5 minutes.

“I forgot you can sing like that,” Clarke’s voice startled a shriek out of Lexa.

“Don’t do that!” Lexa whined.

Grinning, Clarke reached for Lexa’s hand. She pressed a kiss to her palm, then the tip of each finger.

“I’m sorry, babe,” She whispered. Even with the lights dancing over their heads, Clarke could see the blush spreading up Lexa’s cheeks. “I really did forget you can actually sing.”

“Just because I sing goofily to you doesn’t mean I can’t sing in a normal way.”

A roll of the eyes met that statement. Clarke used her free hand to tip Lexa’s head back so their eyes could meet, “I like your voice. Singing, talking, yelling, screaming my name. Doesn’t matter. Your voice is one of my favorite sounds in this whole wide world.”

“Yeah?” Lexa grinned, sliding closer to her.

“Yes. Absolutely,” Clarke nodded. Her eyes dropped to Lexa’s lips, “Your voice comes out of your mouth which, coincidentally, is also one of my favorite things in the world.”

Laughing quietly, Lexa leaned down to give her a gentle kiss, “I love you, Clarke Woods.”

“I love you too, Lex.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	24. You Should Be With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Clarke are going home for the holidays. And they're dreading it. It isn't that they don't love their parents, it is the rest of the family they'd prefer to avoid if possible. Since their both single, the hopes of having a buffer of some sort are slim to known. Then, while sitting in class, Raven's eyes land on her classmate Lexa. As in newly-single Lexa Woods. 
> 
> Like the genius she is, Raven has the plan formed in minutes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: (Honestly one of the most perfect prompts ever given. Ever) Double fake-dating holiday AU with Ranya and Clexa. Except the couples start with Lexa/Raven and Anya/Clarke. (Given by DreamsAreMyWords)
> 
>  
> 
> AN: There will be a second and third part to this one. Part 2 will be out later today (Dec 24th) and Part 3 will be out sometime on Christmas day. I hope I do this prompt proud!

Normally, Raven Reyes-Griffin looked forward to the holidays at home. She and her sister, Clarke, had been away at college for the semester and the holidays meant free laundry and home cooked meals. They were looking forward to the flight and the drive. All of it.

Until Clarke had talked to their mother about their trip home. Abby had informed the girls of the plans for the three weeks they’d be home. Plans that now included extended family coming into town for the first time in three years.

Clarke and Raven knew exactly what that meant. Questions. A lot of them. Mostly they’d be about their personal lives, their romantic lives. That’s all the family had talked about for years. Ever since the fiasco with Finn.

Two years before the Griffin’s had adopted Raven, she and Clarke had met by chance. They ran into each other at the local library back in Arkadia, both needing a book for a paper. Somehow that led to grabbing a coffee and discussing custody of the book, which they’d agreed to share. And that led to talking about their lives.

They became fast friends. Raven could be found so often at the Griffin house that Jake and Abby turned one of the guest rooms into a room for her. When Raven’s mom died, they hadn’t hesitated in taking her in. They gave then 17-year-old Raven the choice between fostering and adopting.

Raven hadn’t been ashamed to admit she wanted to be a Griffin.

Six months later, Clarke started talking about a new crush she had on this guy she’d met around town. Three months later, Raven walked into Clarke’s room unannounced to find Finn Collins making out with her.

As in, Raven’s boyfriend of 2 years. Making out with her sister.

He’d been playing both of them. But they both ended up breaking up with him and vowing to make sure they always told each other about their romantic interests in the future.

Really, the family had blown it all out of proportion! Raven and Clarke hadn’t even really fought about it. More like they’d given each other the silent treatment for a couple of days before Jake pointed out the only one who knew about the whole thing was Finn. They ended up laughing and breaking up with him an hour later.

Now though, they faced the prospect of going home to their parents’ house in two weeks time and confronting the entire family. Since Finn, neither girl had been in a serious relationship. 21-year-old Raven had a string of not serious boyfriends and girlfriends, 20-year-old Clarke had found a nice no strings arrangements with an older girl named Niylah her first year at the University of Polis.

So there sat Raven in her stupid political science elective, ignoring everything the professor was saying while she thought over the predicament. The only thing Raven knew for certain was she and Clarke couldn’t go home single. But… she couldn’t ask any of her casual hookups to go with her. They’d read too much into that. And Clarke had already shot down the idea of taking Niylah. She knew the older girl would think feelings were involved when they weren’t.

Her eyes drifted around the classroom, studying the walls and the PowerPoint slide. Then her focus landed a few rows in front of her, on Lexa Woods. She and Lexa had become study buddies, often hunkering down to help each other out when exams were coming up.

Lexa was newly single!

Well… not newly. Since the summer. She and her longtime girlfriend had broken up for some reason. Raven never thought to ask. Lexa hadn’t seemed all that interested in telling her. What Raven did know was Lexa had a sister and no other family and that Christmas wasn’t a big deal to them. They spent it together but didn’t really celebrate.

Immediately after the professor dismissed the class, five minutes late, Raven took off after her friend.

“Lexa!” She yelled in the crowded corridor. The noise of all the students drowned her out though, so she resigned herself to following her. Once they were outside, she tried again, “Lexa!”

Turning, to glance over her shoulder, Lexa grinned, “Hey, Raven. What’s up? Want to plan our study sessions? Exams are coming up.”

“No. Well, yes, that too but no,” Raven replied.

“That’s an interesting answer. Want to expand on it?” Lexa quirked a brow.

Taking a deep breath, Raven plunged into her real reason for seeking Lexa out, “Listen, I know you’re probably already busy with something and all of that but I need a favor. I know this is going to sound weird coming from me, and please don’t read into it, but I need a girlfriend to go home with me for Christmas. I’m not telling you I have feelings for you, I mean… I do. You’re my friend. But I need a girlfriend to keep my family off my back. And I know you have a sister and she could be my sister’s girlfriend! That would be perfect! Clarke and I would pay for your plane tickets. And you wouldn’t have to sleep with me or whatever. Just, you know, normal girlfriend things. Holding hands, touching, kisses too. I know that sounds even weirder but you’d have to sell it and I – ”

“Sure,” Lexa cut her off, placing her hands on Raven’s shoulders and squeezing.

“What?”

Shrugging, Lexa smiled, “I told you I don’t have plans for the holidays. And Hanukkah is already over, so my answer is yes.”

“Hanukkah?” Raven echoed the word. “You’re Jewish?”

“Why did you think I don’t celebrate Christmas?” Lexa asked.

Thinking back on the limited times they’d discussed family and personal history, Raven couldn’t think of a single time Lexa had mentioned Christmas. She shrugged, “I just assumed you and your sister hated it.”

“Nope, just never celebrated it before,” Lexa replied with a smile. “I’ll talk to Anya about it tonight and let you know what she says. I’m sure she’ll be okay with it. We’ve always wanted to go to Southern California.”

****

An hour later, Raven was pacing in the apartment living room. Clarke was late getting home. That was odd. She usually sent a text if she was going to be late. Finally, the door burst open and in came Clarke.

“Sorry!” She breathed. She hung up her coat and hat, tossed her bag on the counter and marched to her room with her sketchbook in her hand. She came back out a few minutes later, smiling, “I saw the most gorgeous girl and I had to stop to sketch her really quick. But by the time I was all set up, she was gone.”

“I found a solution to our problem!” Raven announced when Clarke breezed by her to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

Taking a sip, Clarke nodded, “What problem?”

“The family,” Raven replied. When Clarke’s eyes widened, she knew she had her attention. “I asked Lexa to go with us as my girlfriend. She’s talking to her sister right now about going as yours.”

“Fake girlfriends?” Clarke questioned, her lips turning up in a smile.

Shrugging, Raven grinned, “Mom and Dad won’t care. And if the rest of the family is going to annoy us, we should be allowed to some ammunition.”

“What about our friends?” Clarke asked. “You know they’ll be able to tell if we’re not acting right. Especially Octavia!”

“We have 2 weeks to figure out each other. I’m sure you can learn enough about Lexa’s sister by then to be convincing!” Raven clapped her hands and smiled. Clarke hadn’t said ‘no’ outright which meant she was agreeing to the plan. A ding alerted Raven to her phone. Scooping it up, she grinned, “It’s Lexa.”  


**Lexa: (6:34p)**  
Anya says she’s in as long as she  
doesn’t have to sleep with anyone.  
  


She read the text and smiled. “They’re in!”

“This isn’t a good idea,” Clarke predicted. She shook her head and grabbed Raven by her shoulders, holding her steady as she spoke. “They will see through this. We’re going home in two weeks! You may know Lexa as a classmate but there’s no way you know her well enough to pull off fooling our family into thinking she’s your girlfriend of… whatever time frame you’ve decided on.”

“Four months,” Raven said absentmindedly. She wasn’t really paying much attention to her sister. She was already looking up their flight back home and booking tickets for Lexa and Anya.

That pulled a groan from Clarke, “No, Raven, seriously. Four months? No one will believe that! You can’t keep birthday presents a secret for more than a day and you expect Mom and Dad to just accept the fact that you have a girlfriend of four months that you like enough to bring home nearly unannounced? And how are you going to explain 2 sisters choosing to skip Christmas with their own families?"

"They're Jewish. Hanukkah is over," Raven repeated Lexa's words from earlier in the day.

"Raven! You are missing the point and you know it!" Clarke stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest.

“It’ll be fine! Lexa said she and Anya have it all planned out!” Raven insisted, pumping her fist and dancing her way to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Again! There will be a second and third part to this one. Part 2 will be out later today (Dec 24th) and Part 3 will be out sometime on Christmas day.


	25. You Should Be With Me (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has arrived for Clarke and Raven to attempt to fool their friends and family. Anya and Lexa are just along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the fantastic prompt given to me by DreamsAreMyWords.  
> Double fake-dating holiday AU with Ranya and Clexa. Except the couples start with Lexa/Raven and Anya/Clarke.
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Working 16+ hours is never fun. Working 16+ hours and hen having to deal with my crazy family is even less fun...  
> There will be another chapter of this, to wrap up the prompt. It could be out sometime today (Dec 26) Nearly finished guys!!

**_December 23 rd_ **

As it turns out, 2 weeks isn’t all that long. Not when you’re trying to get to know someone well enough to fool your family into thinking you’ve been dating for months. Raven and Clarke had laughed when the Woods sisters had shown up with questionnaires about them. It only took them 3 days to take it a bit more seriously.

They studied on the plane too. Non-stop questions and answers. Thankfully, they’d fallen in the habit of touching each other already. Clarke and Anya had even been told they made a striking couple while in the terminal at the airport.

“We can do this,” Anya said quietly, her hand holding Clarke’s gently. “We set the rules and the boundaries. I know your favorite color. We’ve come up with a story about how we’ve met. There isn’t anything to worry about.”

“There’s everything to worry about. I don’t know how I let Raven talk me into this!” Clarke groaned, dropping her head back against her seat.

Anya chuckled, “It’s all good, darling. Nothing to worry about. Your sister and my sister are playing the over-the-top couple this trip. We get to be chill.”

“Just wait until Octavia and Linc pick us up. You won’t be so calm when O starts questioning us,” Clarke predicted, narrowing her eyes as she turned her head. “O has been a cop since we graduated high school. She’s nearly finished with her criminal justice degree. She’s smart. And if Linc thinks there’s a reason to be suspicious, we’re screwed.”

“There’s no calming you right now.”

“Nope,” Clarke popped the ‘p’ and dropped her head back again.

Accepting that, Anya nodded and wrapped her arm around Clarke’s shoulders, “In that case, get some sleep, dear. It’s a long flight and I can only imagine the LA traffic is going to be a bitch.”

Across the aisle, Lexa rolled her eyes. Anya had been particularly good at faking her interest in Clarke. She wasn’t sure why, but that irritated her. She watched them for a moment longer than necessary, eyes narrowed and mouth thinned into a scowl.

“I’m over here, lover,” Raven cooed in her ear.

“Don’t call me that,” Lexa rolled her eyes. “I said no pet names.”

Stifling a laugh, Raven shrug, “Then pay attention. We only have another hour and a half until we land. Then the trip with Lincoln and O. And then my parents. So you need to focus.”

“I have the entire packet of information memorized. I have Clarke’s packet memorized too,” Lexa responded, following Clarke’s example and dropping her head back against her seat. She opened one eyes just wide enough to meet Raven’s, “If I don’t have all that stuff down by now, we’re screwed.”

“Silver lining?” Raven snorted.

****

When they approached the carousel for their suitcases, Clarke scanned the crowd for her best friend and her boyfriend. Instead, she spotted her parents. She froze mid-stride, jaw dropped, and eyes wide.

“What’s the matter?” Raven asked, poking her in the side.

“Mom and Dad,” Clarke whispered back.

Blanching, Raven craned her neck, easily spotting Abby and Jake Griffin in the crowd. Hissing and turning to her sister, Raven tapped her chin with a finger and forced a smile, “Look happy. They think we’re in love with our girlfriends. A little nervous is okay, you look like you’re about to cry though.”

“Why are they here?” Clarke asked, her tone hushed even though there was no way her parents could hear her.

“They love us?” Raven shrugged, smiling brightly before pulling Clarke behind her.

Abby was practically pushing through the crowd to get to her girls. Jake was behind her, smiling and laughing at the sight of his oh-so-professional wife shoulder checking people out of her way.

“Mom!” Clarke and Raven said at the same time, nearly tackling Abby.

Like always, Jake’s arms closed around the three of them, holding them tightly. Then, as he usually did, he tightened his arms until Raven and Clarke groaned.

“Hi, Dad,” Raven stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“Hey, Little Bird,” Jake replied, kissing the top of her head.

Clarke repeated Raven’s greeting to her father before hugging her mother again. The little family was happily reunited. Clarke nearly forgot about their underhanded plans until Abby spoke.

“Where are these mysterious girlfriends?” She asked.

“Mysterious?” Clarke laughed.

Raven pointed at the carousel, where Anya and Lexa were waiting for their luggage.

“They grabbed your suitcases,” Abby gushed, patting a hand over her heart. “How sweet!”

“They better treat you right,” Jake said gruffly.

Clarke bushed, dipping her head, “Anya is pretty great.”

“Lexa is even better!” Raven added.

Rolling her eyes, Clarke explained to the parents, “Raven and Anya have discovered they’re both ridiculously competitive. It makes for some interesting hangouts.”

“Raven isn’t competitive,” Jake responded, patting her on the shoulder, “She just knows she’s good and doesn’t like to lose.”

“She loses to Anya all the time,” Clarke said, dodging the swat from her sister.

“Girls,” Abby reprimanded. They waited until Abby moved in front of them before sticking their tongues out and swatting playfully at each other. Abby stopped and turned back, “I saw that.”

Clarke wanted to argue the possibility that Abby had seen anything but Jake was approaching Anya. Shooting an apologetic smile to her mother, Clarke darted around her and sprinted to Anya’s side.

“Dad, this is Anya,” Clarke said as she tried to catch her breath.

Holding out a hand, Anya waited for the man to take it before she spoke, “Pleasure to meet you, sir. Clarke has told me all about you.”

“Really? Because up until a week or two ago, my wife and I had no idea you and your sister existed,” Jake smiled. He rocked back on his heels and tucked his hands in his pockets.

“Dad,” Raven said as she pulled Lexa up to him, “This is my girlfriend Lexa.”

“The other mystery guest!” Jake said loudly.

Lexa followed Anya’s example, offering a hand to Jake and then Abby when she approached, “Nice to meet you.”

“I wish we’d had more warning about the two of you,” Abby smiled sheepishly. “I’m afraid my family isn’t going to my your holidays easy for you.”

Clarke snorted, “I’m more worried about Octavia.”

****

As it turned out, Clarke was right to be worried about Octavia. She didn’t make an appearance until later that night, but when she did show up, she was ready to defend her friends’ honor! The first thing she said when introduced to Anya and Lexa was, “isn’t it weird for sisters to date sisters? Like… I don’t know. Incest or something?”

“No,” Was all Anya replied with. Then she was gone in search of a drink.

“Hey!” Raven called out when she walked passed the game room.

Leaning back, Anya looked in the doorway, “What?”

“You any good at pool?” Raven asked, holding out a cue for Anya to take.

“I’ve been known to play.”

Taking a moment to study her, Raven nodded, “Loser has to peel potatoes for dinner tomorrow? All 30 pounds of them. Alone.”

“You’re on!” Anya announced without hesitation.

A few hours later, they’d moved on to darts. That was after they’d played pool and air hockey and ping pong. Clarke had come in to sit on the leather sofa. Soon enough, Lexa joined her. Sitting at opposite ends, they shared eye rolls every once in a while. Other than that, Clarke sketched and Lexa read.

“Clarke!” Raven shouted suddenly.

“What?” Clarke snapped, frowning down at the drawing she’d nearly ruined when she jumped.

“Tell Anya that isn’t how you play darts!”

Glancing over at Lexa, who shrugged, Clarke sighed, “I didn’t see what happened. I can’t the judge.”

“Just give it up, Raven. You’ve lost at everything so far,” Anya sidled up to her and smiled. “At this point, you’re going to be making all that food by yourself tomorrow!”

“Girls!” Abby called from downstairs somewhere. “Lights out soon! We have to start early with the cooking!”

Clarke sighed and shifted to her feet. She turned back and pulled Lexa to her feet too. Leading the way out of the game room and to their bedrooms, Raven and Clarke froze when they saw Jake standing in the hallway, with his arms crossed over his big chest.

“Abby and I discussed it,” He announced. “Clarke, will share your room with Lexa? Or Raven?”

“Anyone but my actual girlfriend?” Clarke laughed.

“Why?” Raven asked.

Jake blushed, “We just have rules about significant others staying the night. They haven’t changed. They still apply even if you’ve brought girlfriends instead of boyfriends.”

“I’ll take Anya for the night,” Raven announced, grabbing Anya’s hand and pulling her toward her bedroom. Just before she reached the door, she called back over her shoulder, “Clarke kicks in her sleep.”

“Thanks for the warning!” Lexa called after her.

Clarke stepped forward, motioning for Lexa to follow her further down the hall. She opened the door to her childhood bedroom, smiling when Lexa’s eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.

“I’m a little bit artistic,” Clarke shrugged as she stepped into the room.

Every square inch of the walls were covered in paintings and sketches. Some were colored, some were black and white, some with just a splash a color. A large bed stood in the center of the wall to the left, a dove grey comforter with a line of bright blue hibiscus flowers down one side. The blue sheets matched perfectly to the flowers.

“There’s a trundle bed,” Clarke explained. She moved around Lexa to pull the twin sized bed out from underneath hers. After a struggle and a kick or two aimed at the rolling bed, she smiled at Lexa again, “I’ll take this. You can take my bed.”

“I’m not kicking you out of your bed,” Lexa shook her head.

Shrugging, Clarke headed to her walk-in closet, “You can sleep in the trundle with me if you’d like. It’ll be a tight squeeze but I’m sure we could manage. I’ve always preferred the trundle.”

“Clarke! I’m your sister’s girlfriend!”

“Fake girlfriend,” Clarke corrected.

They continued to argue where they were sleeping as they brushed their teeth side-by-side at the sink in Clarke’s private bathroom. When Clarke was getting dressed in the walk-in closet, and Lexa in the bathroom, they were still trying to figure it out.

They stepped into the bedroom at the exact same time. Their eyes met, smiles broke out one their faces, and then they were running. They playfully pulled on each other, laughing the entire time.

Clarke reached the trundle bed first. Only because she dove for it, risking life and limb in Lexa’s eyes, just to get the smaller bed.

“Really?” Lexa huffed, standing over her with her hands on her hips.

“My room, my rules,” Clarke shrugged, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders and wiggling to get comfortable. When Lexa continued glare down at her, she smiled and lifted the blankets, “You can join me or you can sleep in my bed. It’s up to you.”

****

At that moment, Raven and Anya were having the same discussion. Like Clarke, Raven had a trundle bed in her room, along with her own bed. She offered to let Anya take her bed but, of course, Anya refused.

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Raven asked, holding up her fist. She grinned at the eye roll that answered her suggestion.

“Really?” Anya sighed. “We’re both adults. Surely we can figure this out without resorting to playground games?”

All Raven could do was shrug, “I’m not letting you sleep on the trundle.”

“Why?”

“It isn’t as comfortable as my bed. And besides,” Raven smirked. She leaned in and spoke more clearly, “You’re of an advanced age compared to me. You probably need the lumbar support.”

Pulling in a deep breath, Anya clenched her jaw and counted to ten. Then she let the breath out slowly. She repeated that a few times, wanting to be sure she was calm before she spoke, “I am three years older than you, Reyes. Not a senior citizen.”

“Yeah?” Raven arched a brow, her eyes flickering up to Anya’s wild hair. “Tell that to that grey hair that’s staring at me.”

“I don’t have – ” Anya started to snap. Then she closed her mouth with an audible click of her teeth. “We’ve been traveling all day. Can we please just figure this out and go to sleep?”

Her dodged satisfied Raven’s competitive streak momentarily. She nodded, “How about we switch beds nightly? You sleep up there tonight and down here tomorrow?”

“That works,” Anya nodded once.

Turning on her heel, Anya grabbed her toiletry bag and moved to Raven’s bathroom to get ready for bed. When she returned to the bedroom, Raven was already under the blankets and appeared to be more than half was to dreamland.

“Good night, Raven,” Anya whispered as she climbed over her to reach the bigger bed.

“Night, Ahn,” Raven sighed before yawning and smacking her lips.

****

**_December 24 th_ **

“So you’re telling me that you and Raven are dating another pair of sisters?” Octavia asked again.

Clarke nodded before pointing Anya and Lexa out to her, “They’re pretty cool. You and Lincoln will like them. Anya is a cop and Lexa is a poli-sci major, she wants to be a lawyer. Raven and Anya get into these weird competitive stages that never make any sense to me and Lexa.”

“Is that what’s happening right now?” Lincoln questioned.

Turning in her barstool, Clarke watched Anya and Raven posturing. They were each keen on being declared the leader of their little group of four. But neither of them ever seemed to get very far on that front before the other would distract her with some other competition.

“That’s nothing,” Lexa leaned forward to see around Clarke. “There was one weekend where Anya and Raven both ate nothing but Hawaiian pizza because Raven said she thought it was the grossest thing ever.”

“It’s the grossest thing ever so they ate it?” Lincoln looked confused.

“We were just as confused,” Clarke laughed and rested her hand on Lexa’s knee, giving it a squeeze. “We’d gone out to get some ice cream because Anya and Raven were bickering and we came home to three large Hawaiian pizzas. Lex and I stayed at her place that weekend.”

Taking a moment, Octavia narrowed her eyes as she studied Clarke and Lexa. Then she turned her attention to Raven and Anya. Earlier, when she and Lincoln had met up with Clarke and Anya for brunch, they seemed to make sense. Anya was stoic and serious but with an undercurrent of sarcasm and wit that no one would ever see coming. She was the perfect balance for Clarke’s wild ideas and passionate outbursts. They balanced.

Watching Raven and Anya bicker over the jukebox, Octavia sighed. She couldn’t see how Anya and Clarke were going to last if Anya couldn’t get along with Raven. And speaking of Raven, Octavia’s eyes fell on Lexa. She seemed to be a lot like her sister. Calm and collected. A stark contrast to Raven’s fiery personality. She could see how they’d work too but, again, if Anya and Raven couldn’t get along there wasn’t much hope for Raven’s new relationship to last.

“Do they argue over everything?” Octavia asked.

“No,” Clarke shook her head. “Just when they’re bored or want to get a rise out of each other. They’re actually really good at reading each other.”

****

Lexa wanted to blame the alcohol in her system for her eyes constantly settling on Clarke. She knew she was there to play Raven’s girlfriend but Clarke was… Clarke. Her smile and her laugh and her sometimes lame jokes were cracking through Lexa’s hastily built walls faster than Lexa could repair them.

Earlier in the evening, when Clarke’s hand had been on her knee, when her fingers had tightened just a little and a small smile bent Clarke’s lips, Lexa knew she smiled back. She knew she was venturing into dangerous territory.

So when they got home and it was time for bed, Lexa caught Raven in the hallway and asked if she’d share a room with Clarke. A brief debate took place before Raven agreed.

Lexa was in bed before Clarke even realized she hadn’t followed her into her bedroom. She didn’t read too much into it. Sometimes Lexa did weird things. Besides, she and Raven needed to have a catch-up chat.

****

**_December 25 th _ **

The family gathering was just as bad as Raven had anticipated. Their aunts and uncles and cousins, all of whom had known Raven and Clarke were bisexual, seemed genuinely shocked by the appearance of the Woods sisters. Of course, the ugly Christmas sweaters Anya had picked out for the four of them didn’t help.

Seeing the very serious Anya in a black sweater with a giant dreidel on it was more hilarity that Raven could handle. And Lexa in her green sweater with the menorah? Raven had almost fallen over. Clarke’s blue sweater had what Raven could only assume was a knitted version of grumpy cat on it. And Ravens? Well, she had a red sweater that was a size too small with reindeer without antlers. She tried explaining that to a few relatives but no one understood.

Aunts and uncles asked pointed questions. Their grandfather asked borderline offensive questions about the sweaters. Jake and Abby ran interference where they could but they couldn't be everywhere at once. Raven and Clarke were fiercely protective of their fake girlfriends, refusing to leave their sides for the first hour or two of the party.

Cousins hunted the couples down. One was even dumb enough to interject when Raven and Anya were bickering about what movie to watch. Aunts asked pointed questions about commitment and marriage and babies. At one point, Clarke thought poor Lexa was going to jump over the table when an aunt implied Clarke was a bit too loose in the bedroom department.

Grabbing her hand, Clarke excused them from the conversation, pulling Lexa into the basement. They ended up in the old hang out room, the couch was new but the atmosphere was the same. It was the place Raven and Clarke and Octavia had spent their high school years.

“You need to calm down,” Clarke whispered, gently pressing down on Lexa’s shoulders until she was sitting on the couch.

“You aren’t loose!” Lexa insisted. “Does your aunt hate happiness?”

Smiling, Clarke dropped down note couch next to her, slouching back until she was comfortably relaxed. She poked Lexa’s shoulder until she leaned back too, “I know I’m not loose. But I haven’t had a steady partner in years and that is too much for her to handle.”

“Well you have Anya now,” Lexa snapped.

“Was that… Are you…” Clarke’s eyes grew round with realization. “You’re jealous!”

Blinking slowly, Lexa shook her head, “Of Anya? Why would I be jealous of Anya?”

“Lexa?”

“Clarke?”

Smirking, she leaned into Lexa, bringing a hand up to cup the back of Lexa’s neck, fingers tangling with her hair, “I get it. I’ve noticed.”

“Noticed what?” Lexa whispered.

“All the looks and all the touches. And you don’t have to be jealous,” Clarke explained. She leaned in until their foreheads rested together. “Lex?”

“Yeah, Clarke?”

Flickering eyes met, studied. Then Clarke finished her question, “Kiss me?”

Swallowing thickly, Lexa shook her head, “I can’t. Not when Anya’s in the picture.”

“Anya’s hot for Raven and we all know it.”

That was all the arguing it took before Lexa had Clarke pinned underneath her in what could only be described as the most passionate kiss of Clarke’s life. Somehow her hands ended up by her head, Lexa’s fingers laced with hers and holding them there while Lexa kissed her senseless.

A whimper, teeth dragging down Clarke’s neck, a struggle to get a hand free to drive fingers into Lexa’s hair. Each new step, each new sound lead them further down a path none of them could have predicted. And honestly, Clarke would never regret any of it.

The kissing led to hands wandering. The hands led to shirts being unbuttoned while they watched each other closely, looking for hesitation, which was never found. The shirts led to bras being tossed aside, and a hearty groan climbing free from Lexa’s chest at the sight of Clarke Griffin without a stitch of clothing covering her upper half. That groan was met equally by Clarke’s hum of appreciation at Lexa’s hard abs and sculpted arms.

Each new step led further and further. Until there were no more steps. There was no more Clarke and Lexa as separate beings. They were close enough that it was difficult for them to know where one ended and the other began.

An hour after they’d retreated to the basement, they were on the couch, dozing lightly under the quilt Clarke had found.

“Hey, Griff, do you know where – ” Octavia came into the room without knocking.

She had been sent to find an old board game. She found a lot more than that. Without a word, she reached down to lock the doorknob and backed out of the room. She stood guard there until she heard Clarke and Lexa hurrying to get dressed once they realized how long they’d been gone.

Only then did she leave to go find Lincoln.

****

**_At the same time, in Raven’s bathroom_ **

“You’re ridiculous,” Anya growled, tilting her head to give Raven better access to her neck. “You’re meant to be my sister’s girlfriend.”

“Fake girlfriend,” Raven corrected before nipping at her pulse point. She bit a little harder, applied just a bit of pressure before licking to sooth the pain a little.

Anya pulled Raven’s hair from her ponytail and drove her fingers into the smooth black locks. She yanked Raven away from her collarbone, which she’d been sucking on, to bring their mouths back together again.

“Is this cheating?” Anya asked after they separated, not pausing to resist when Raven’s hands tugged her t-shirt up over her head.

“No,” Raven shook her head. Then she paused, “Maybe. I don’t know. And honestly, I don’t care. Clarke is too into Lexa to be worried about this.”

Before Anya could say more, Raven had her hands on the button of her jeans. She grinned wolfishly and flipped their positions, pressing Raven against the vanity. Making quick work of the tight red dress Raven had pulled out of her closet, Anya’s mouth watered at the sight before her. Raven’s bra and underwear were made from a lace nearly identical to the one used on the dress. They left just enough to the imagination to have Anya diving in headfirst.

With one hand, she unhooked Raven’s bra and tossed it aside.

“Smooth,” Raven winked.

That was the last they really spoke. The rest of the twenty minutes they spent in that bathroom was filled with sighs and moans and hushed praises and whispered phrases. Their lips and their hands communicated more than their voices did.

Fireworks. That was the only way for Raven to ever describe what happened in that bathroom that day.

What Anya and Raven didn’t know at the moment they leaned against each other, arms wound tight around necks and waists, was Lincoln had seen them. He’d been looking for the same game as Octavia. For whatever reason, he thought Raven would know where it was. He hadn’t seen everything, he ran out too quickly for that. He’d seen enough though.

He headed straight back into the party to find Octavia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


	26. You Should Be With Me (Finale)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clexa and Ranya have to face Jake and Abby (and Octavia) after their secrets are discovered...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I know. I said December 26th. Here's the thing. Have any of you tried to write when you have a 4-year-old, 2 2-year-olds, and a 6-month-old constantly around? It's impossible! I'd sit down to write and my nephew, the 4-year-old, would have me watching random videos on YouTube about octopi and squids.  
> Then I got sick. And then better. And then sick again.
> 
> But I'm here now! And this is the last (Christmas) chapter of this work! There's going to be one more chapter set on NYE out in the next day or two.
> 
> ALSO!! I'll have the next in my Rayna series finished within the next week or so. AND!! The first chapter of my new Clexa work will be posted within the next 2 weeks.

Lincoln barely made it down the hallway before he was yanked into Clarke’s bedroom. For such a large man, his yelp of surprise was very high pitched. Octavia’s quirked brow and smirk had him blushing.

Biting back his surprise, he hugged his girlfriend before he started to speak, “You are not going to believe what Anya and Raven – ”

“No. I cannot believe Clarke would do this to Raven. Again! That she and Lexa would be capable of anything like this!” Octavia snapped, the light atmosphere in the bright room quickly replaced by a heaviness that weighed down on the couple’s shoulders.

“Wait,” Lincoln shook his head and held up his hand. Confusion clouded his eyes. “What do you mean Clarke and Lexa?”

Fisted hands landed on Octavia’s hips, “What the hell do you mean Raven and Anya?”

“I just saw them in her room,” Lincoln jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

“Clarke and Lexa?” Octavia asked even though she knew she’d just seen them in the basement. No way they’d have time to get dressed and make it to Raven’s room in time for Lincoln to see them.

He laughed, “I love that you get confused when you’re angry. No. I saw Raven and Anya plastered together in her bedroom. You saw Clarke and Lexa? Where?”

“Downstairs!” Octavia groaned. “On the couch in the basement. I love that couch. They’re ruining it!”

“Are you telling me they’re all cheating on each other?” Lincoln rubbed his short mohawk and sighed. “They wouldn’t do that. Right?”

****

**_Just outside the bedroom door_ **

“Did they just say what I think they said?” Abby bit out from between clenched teeth.

“Yes,” Jake sighed. His shoulders drooped. “I expected more from Clarke than this.”

Head snapping to the left, Abby glared at her husband, “Do not place all the blame on Clarke. What about Raven? She’s not innocent in this!”

Taking her by the elbow, Jake pulled her into their bedroom and closed the door. He paced for a while, back and forth across the room, while Abby settled into an armchair in their sitting area. She didn’t speak until Jake plopped down across from her.

“Do you want to know what I think, Abs?”

“Tell me,” Abby nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Because I haven’t a single sound theory in my head right now.”

Jake leaned forward, pulling Abby’s hand down and holding it gently. He sighed and then chuckled, “I think honestly think there’s more going on here than we realize. We just haven’t been catching the clues.”

Watching him for a moment, Abby squeezed his fingers, “Explain.”

****

“You want us to what?” Raven gaped at her parents.

“Why are you acting like we’re asking you to sell your kidneys?” Abby rolled her eyes. “It’s Christmas Night. A Holy Night if you think about it. We just want you and Clarke to stay together in her room. I’m sure Lexa and Anya will be fine with sharing yours. Right girls?”

The Woods sisters nodded rapidly. They certainly weren’t going to argue with Jake of Abby, not after they’d… no, better not think about it. They each blushed at the same time, eyes falling to the floor.

“But why?” Clarke asked. She had to work hard to keep the whine out of her voice. “We aren’t even religious!”

“Can you please just do as we ask?” Jake responded, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

Raven watches them for a just a second. They were acting just a bit off. They had been since before the extended family left. The only people left in the house now were, Octavia, the Griffins and the Woods. O had passed out nearly an hour before, shortly after the house emptied.

“Okay,” Raven nodded. She took Clarke’s elbow and pulled her toward the stairs. “See you in the morning.”

“Aren’t you going to say goodnight to your girlfriends?” Jake called after them.

The Griffin sisters paused halfway up the steps. Then Clarke glanced back, “After I brush my teeth. Don’t be gross, Dad.”

Making their excuses, Anya and Lexa followed them up the stairs. When Jake and Abby appeared in the hallway behind them, the couples… or rather the fake couples exchanged quick kisses and loose hugs.

Once everyone was in bed for the night, Jake silently slid bells onto the doors of the girls’ bedrooms. He fully planned on staying awake to see if his theories were correct. He made a show of heading downstairs for a drink before loudly returning to his bedroom and closing the door.

Inside Clarke’s room, she was rolling her eyes, “he put the bells on the doors.”

“If it didn’t work when we were teenagers, why would it work now?” Raven sighed.

She and Clarke were in the big bed, tucked in for the night. Both felt guilt seep into the room. Partially because of what had happened earlier in the day and partially because they were both aching for a different bedfellow.

“Clarke.”

“Raven.”

They giggled as they turned to their sides, facing each other. Raven reached out so she could hold her sister’s hand. Clarke’s hand was there in the middle of the space between them, waiting.

“I have to tell you something,” Clarke whispered.

“Me too,” Raven replied just as quietly.

Taking a deep breath, Clarke nodded and said, “I slept with Lexa.”

That was met with silence. Clarke’s heart began to pound. What if she and Lexa had been wrong? What if Anya and Raven weren’t interested in each other? What if Raven really had feelings for –

“Oh! Thank Sappho!” Raven laughed, her hand clutching Clarke’s tightly.

“What?”

“I thought you were going to tell me you had feelings for Ahn!”

Blinking, Clarke sat up in the bed, turning to flick on her bedside lamp, “You what?”

“Well… it would have been awkward since Anya and I hooked up today. And I was sure you had a thing for Lexa so I wasn’t worried. Then you looked like you felt guilty and I thought maybe we liked the same person again.”

“So… You and Anya?” Clarke asked, smiling and settling back against her headboard.

“And you and Lexa?”

Clarke blushed. Memories of their time in the basement, on the couch and against the wall while they were getting dressed, flooded her head. She bit her lip and nodded, “I really like her, Raven.”

“That’s great! Because I think she really likes you!”

“Is it… would you hate me if I said I wish she was here with me?” Clarke asked, her eyes falling to her comforter.

Without even bothering to respond, Raven climbed out of bed. She pulled on an old hoodie of hers she found in Clarke’s closet and fired of a text to Anya. She opened the window, sighing, “The things I do for love.”

“No one said anything about love!” Clarke whispered behind her.

Turning around with one leg out the window, Raven arched a brow, “Are you really saying you don’t?”

“I didn’t say that,” Clarke sniped.

“That’s what I thought,” Raven smirked and winked at her sister. “Me either. Now then. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. The things I do for love!”

Then she was gone. Clarke sank back down in her bed with a groan. She didn’t know what Raven was doing but she knew that look. Trouble. That’s what that look meant.

A knock on the frame of her window almost had Clarke screaming. She whipped around and saw Lexa climbing into her room, then turning to close the window. A wonderfully disheveled Lexa. An old crew cut sweatshirt with the collar cut away was hanging off one shoulder. Her legs were uncovered, the short shorts she was wearing offering little in the way of warmth. And her hair, that wonderful hair Clarke had just figured out she loved to sink her fingers into? Pulled up in a messy bun.

“You wear glasses?” Clarke croaked, unable to believe how adorable the woman before her looked.

“You’ve seen me in my glasses before,” Lexa rolled her eyes. She approached the bed and sat on the edge, taking off the aforementioned items and placing them on the nightstand.

Clarke shook her head. She and Lexa had spent a lot of time together, that was true. But she’d never seen her with her glasses on. Then she gasped. She jumped out of bed, hurrying to her desk where her sketchbook was waiting for her to make use of it again.

She flipped through the pages quickly until she came to the rough sketch of the woman she’d seen on campus.

“You!” She whispered as she hurried to show Lexa.

“Me?”

Clarke stepped forward so she was between Lexa’s legs. She smiled when Lexa’s hands found her hips, her thumb and forefingers slipping under the hem of her t-shirts to rub at her skin.

“I saw you the day Raven asked you to take part in this stupid plan. You were on campus, walking like you were on a mission but looking around like you were thinking about something… fantastical.”

Lexa glanced at the sketch, “You saw me?”

“My heart knew you were my muse before the rest of me,” Clarke tossed the sketchbook onto the bed and cupped Lexa’s face between her hands.

“Your heart?” Lexa repeated, her lips bending into a delicate smile. She turned her head to kiss first one palm, then the other. “Does that mean you like me too?”

“More than like,” Clarke nodded.

Lexa watched her carefully for a minute, her fingers tracing patterns on pale skin, “It’s been two weeks.”

“Does that mean anything to you?” Clarke asked, pressing her forehead against Lexa’s.

“Not a damn thing,” Lexa whispered. She blinked slowly, then squeezed her eyes closed. She almost thought she was in a dream. Then she felt Clarke’s skin against her hands as she slid them up and down her sides. She held Clarke’s ribs gently, feeling them expand and contract with each breath. When she opened her eyes, she smiled, “I think I may just love you, Clarke Griffin.”

“I think I may love you too, Lexa Woods,” Clarke tilted her head and caught her lips in the gentlest of kisses.

When they separated, Clarke tugged at Lexa’s sweatshirt, smiling at the blush rising on her cheeks.

“Clarke, your parents – ”

“Not that, babe,” Clarke kissed her again, just as gently as a moment before. “I just want to feel you against me. I want to feel your heartbeat against mine. Nothing more tonight.”

****

**_At the same time, in Raven’s room_ **

“It’s been two weeks,” Anya whispered into the top of Raven’s head. She pressed a kiss to her hair and smiled, “This shouldn’t be possible.”

“Well, I’m just that amazing,” Raven smiled into her neck.

Anya bumped her head with her shoulder, “You know what I mean.”

Lifting herself to an elbow, still more than half-lying on top of Anya, Raven smirked, “did you mean it?”

“That I love you?” Anya asked. Raven nodded and Anya sighed, “I did. I do. I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. I know you’re going to make my life hell, Reyes.”

“Hella awesome!” Raven quipped, kissing her quickly before she settled back against Anya’s chest and neck.

They fell into silence. Anya’s arms held Raven to her tightly, her hands drawing loose circles to her bare back. Like Clarke, Raven had insisted on stripping down to their underwear. She wanted Anya against her all night, even if it couldn’t lead to more.

“Just…” Anya whispered after a few minutes. She cleared her throat and sighed, “don’t break my heart?”

Raven pressed a kiss to her pulse point, smiling when she felt it jump. She kissed her jawline, her chin, her eyes, and her nose. Then she kissed her lips. Anya’s eyes were shut tightly. “Open your eyes, Ahn.”

Anya shook her head, “I’m good. Thanks.”

“I’m not,” Raven replied, moving to straddle her. She leaned down and cupped Anya’s face. “Please?”

That was all it took for tawny eyes to meet dark brown.

“Hey,” Anya said shyly.

“Hello,” Raven whispered. She kissed her again, pulling back and rubbing her thumbs on the apples of her glorious cheekbones. “I can’t promise I’m never going to hurt you, Ahn. And you can’t promise that to me either. But I can tell you that I do love you. And that I’d honestly rather cut off my right arm than break your heart. We’ve been nothing but honest with each other for the two weeks we’ve known each other. I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”

Anya nodded, leaning her head to the side, pinning one of Raven’s hands between her face and her shoulder, “I think I can promise to be honest with you.”

“I think you can too.” Raven smiled and buried her head into the crook of her shoulder.

“I love you, Raven,” Anya said, her arms wrapping around her tightly again.

Raven smiled and slid her hands underneath Anya’s arms, spaying them out against the back of her shoulders, holding her close, “I love you, Anya.”

****

Neither Lexa nor Clarke was expecting the bedroom door to fly open the next morning. They may have kept to innocent cuddling during the night but when the sun came up, all bets were off. Lexa had loved Clarke slowly, showing her with her fingers and her tongue and her lips how much she adored her. When Octavia burst into the room, Clarke was returning the favor.

“Octavia!” Clarke gasped, pulling the comforter up to cover Lexa’s body.

“That’s a lot of hickeys,” Octavia whistled as she watched Clarke dive underneath too.

Clarke glared at her best friend, “Can I help you?”

“Probably. I have questions.”

“About what?” Clarke snapped.

Octavia shrugged, “Mostly about why you’re sleeping with Raven’s girlfriend.”

Falling back in bed, next to a giggling Lexa, Clarke sighed, “I’ll explain later. Go away.”

“Mmmmm,” Octavia tapped her chin and pretended to think, “No. Breakfast is ready and I was sent to get you. Jake’s getting Anya and Lexa… or I guess Anya and Raven.”

“Oh no…” Lexa stopped giggling.

Clarke sighed again, “Can you give us five – ” she yelped and rubbed at the spot Lexa had just pinched. “Ten minutes?”

“Oops, guess I really interrupted something huh?” Octavia laughed. “Ten minutes. I’ll run interference if I can.”

“Thanks!” Lexa called after her when she started to leave the room.

Popping her head back in, Octavia laughed at the sight of Clarke diving under the blanket, “Raven’s not going to hate you again, right?”

“Nope!” Clarke shouted. “Close the door. Go away!”

****

“Dad!” Raven gasped when Jake entered the room two seconds after knocking. She clutched the blanket to her chest as she sat up.

He started to reply when Anya slowly made her way out from underneath the blankets with a blush that almost radiated heat. Instead of replying, he smirked and tapped his watch.

“Five minutes,” Raven nodded and groaned before she fell back against the pillows.

After the door clicked shut, Anya burst out laughing, “He walked in on you – ”

“Experiencing the orgasm of my life?” Raven finished her thought. She shoved at Anya when she started kissing her neck. “So not cool.”

“At least you got to finish,” Anya replied.

Raven arched a brow, “A five minute shower ought to help us both out.”

“Hygiene is very important,” Anya said seriously.

Raven threw the blankets off of her and into Anya’s face, “Race you!”

****

Somehow, the couples were able to get away with twenty-five minutes. They all came downstairs grinning and laughing. Then they turned the corner into the kitchen and were met with the sight of Abby, Jake, and Octavia waiting for them. O and Abby were at the table, mugs of coffee in their hands and expectant looks on their faces. Jake was at the stove, flipping pancakes and grinning.

“That was a long ten minutes,” Octavia said, her eyes meeting Clarke’s.

Before any of the women could start to explain, Abby was shaking her head. She pointed at the empty seats around the table, “Sit. Breakfast is ready. Get coffee and food. Then we talk.”

Of course they did as ordered. Raven and Anya filled four plates with pancakes and eggs and sausages. Clarke and Lexa poured four cups of coffee and four cups of milk. Then Lexa returned to the fridge to pour two cups of orange juice for her and Anya.

As soon as every one was settled, Jake took a bite of his eggs, pointed his fork at Clarke and ordered, “Talk.”

So they did. Raven explained the panic they felt when Abby mentioned the family. She and Clarke didn’t want the comments about Finn they knew would come. They didn’t want to hear about Raven’s Sahara Desert-like dry spell or Clarke’s arrangement with Niylah. They just wanted a nice family holiday. So… fake girlfriends had been the best answer they could come up with.

“So you did this to impress the family?” Abby asked.

“No,” Jake laughed and shook his head. “They did this because Angie and Paul are obnoxious and self-righteous!”

Abby glared at her husband. She knew she sister and brother-in-law weren’t perfect but they weren’t that bad. She said as much to the table at large.

“Mom,” Clarke sighed. “Every time I see Uncle Paul he asks if I’ve made up my mind yet? Because he knows I’m bi and he honestly thinks it a choice.”

“He asks me what it means to be pan,” Raven added with an eye roll.

Octavia snorted into her coffee, “Abby, you should have seen the look on his face when he was going on and on about homosexuality and bisexuality being choices and that you can always tell when someone has chosen _that_ path. They have a ‘look about them’ he said. Then Lincoln got all puffed up and told Paul he’s bi! I thought Paul was going to have an aneurysm!”

“They aren’t that bad," Abby muttered.

“No offense, Dr. Griffin,” Lexa leaned around Clarke to meet her eye, “Your sister continuously asked Clarke very rude questions about very private things repeatedly. When Clarke wouldn’t give her an answer she liked, she’d reword the question so it was even more rude.”

Abby turned red at that. She glared at her phone, sitting next to her plate on the table, “Well, I guess Angie and I will be have a very private discussion later about propriety.”

“Pops wasn’t much better you know,” Raven added. “Did you hear what he was saying to Ahn and Lexa about Jews?”

“One controversy at a time!” Jake said loudly. One look to his wife and he knew Abby’s head was about to explode.

Clarke could only laugh. They had really made the holidays eventful this year, that was for sure.

“Is this real though?” Abby pointed between Raven and Anya, then Clarke and Lexa.

“Yes,” Clarke nodded, her hand finding the back of Lexa’s neck and scratching lightly.

“What do we do about next Christmas then?” Jake asked.

The four women shared glances. Then they all nodded.

“Well,” Anya leaned into the table so she could see both Jake and Abby. She smiled, “We can either tell everyone the truth about what happened and risk insulting Dr. Griffin’s sister.”

“Or…” Raven continued for her, ready to finish her though. She lifted her hand to laced her fingers with Anya’s on the tabletop, “We can pretend like it was always me and Anya. And Clarke with Lexa. If anyone questions it, we play dumb.”

Silence fell over the table. Then Jake snorted. And Abby chuckled. Octavia nearly fell out of her chair with how hard she was laughing.

Jake stood up, holding his water glass out as he toasted the group, “This sure was a hell of a way to meet my future daughters-in-law!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
> 
>  
> 
> Reminder!!  
> I'll have the nest in my Rayna series finished within the next week or so. AND!! The first chapter of my new Clexa work will be posted within the next 2 weeks.


	27. Happy New Years, Ms. Reyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kongeda Enterprises does their Secret Santa reveal on NYE. Raven is sure Anya, aka her crush, aka the head of Legal, is her Secret Santa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: It's secret Santa at the office Christmas party and Raven thinks her 'love confession'-like gift is from Anya, the fierce but aloof head of the legal department and also Raven's secret crush. Anya on the other hand just wonders why the cocky IT girl who she suspects to have intentionally corrupted her system more than once is suddenly so nice to her. PS: Maybe you could throw in some Raven/Clarke friendship. (Given by BadWolf_TimeAndSpace)
> 
>  
> 
> This is it!! All done!!
> 
> Except for the possible spin-offs and what not. If there's a one-shot in this series you'd like to see more of, let me know in the comments here!! Let your voice be heard!!

Most companies held their holiday parties before Christmas. They’d get together and hand out bonuses. Some random guy would be walking around in a rented Santa suit.

Not Kongeda Enterprises though.

No. They held their party on New Year’s Eve. Minus the fake Santa Claus, of course. They did have a gift exchange. A secret Santa gift exchange.

The party was only for those at the KE headquarters. Everyone took part in it, from the CEO Lexa Woods to the people working in the mailroom. 15 minutes before midnight, everyone announced who they’d drawn for the gift exchange.

And that was why Raven and her best friend were at the mall at 10:30 in the morning on New Year’s Eve. She was certain she knew who had been giving her a series of expensive gifts this year. She was determined to have something special for her at the stroke of midnight. She’d been waiting over a year for a move to be made.

“Just pick something!” Clarke whined.

They’d been friends since college. Clarke accidently dated Raven’s boyfriend. When they’d found out, they’d kicked him to the curb but somehow fell into a friendship that never made sense to anyone other than the two of them.

“I need it to be perfect!” Raven insisted.

“Do you really think she needs more jewelry?” Clarke asked, bending at the waist to stare at the bracelets.

Raven shrugged, “I think she deserves all the pretty things in the world.”

“You’re gross.”

“Not everyone can manage to snag their dream girl without even trying, Griffin,” Raven said.

That was true. Most couldn’t. But Lexa Woods had taken one look at Dr. Clarke Griffin one day and had decided she wanted her. Clarke had dropped by Raven’s office to force her to go to lunch after being MIA for weeks. Lexa had popped in to hand off the documents Raven needed for her newest pet project, nearly falling over her own feet when she laid eyes on Clarke for the first time.

Six months later, they were going strong. They were crazy for each other. Which was great, Raven was happy for her friend. But Lexa’s best friend and cousin, Anya Woods, was the one Raven’s eye had landed on her first day at KE and it hadn’t strayed since.

“It’s been a year since I met Anya. A year,” Raven pointed out. She hadn’t slept with anyone else in that year. She was beyond frustrated and Clarke knew it.

“She wouldn’t hold it against you if you had a fling. You aren’t together,” Clarke replied.

Groaning, Raven stood again, “I know that. But my body won’t react to anyone but her.”

“Gross,” Clarke muttered.

“I just need this to go well tonight. I only need one date to convince her to be mine!” Raven insisted as she moved to look at the necklaces. “After the gift I got yesterday, there’s no way it isn’t her.”

Clarke laughed, “because you think she got you a model rocket?”

“I told her I wanted to be an astronaut! She’s the only one who knows that at work!” Raven whirled around to grab Clarke’s shoulders and give her a little shake. “She built the rocket and wrote a message in Spanish for me! It’s her, Clarke! I know it is. And this is her telling me she likes me too!”

****

Thirteen hours later, Raven had poured herself into her new form-fitting red dress and slid on her stiletto heels. Her neck was adorned with a single necklace, with a pear cut ruby surrounded by diamonds hanging from the chain. Right next to the gem, there was a white gold feather in the chain, something the note attached the gift had teased her about.

She was standing outside Anya’s office. She’d asked around at the gathering up on the party floor, which was a sort of recreational floor on the second highest floor of the skyscraper, looking for Anya since she and Clarke had arrived. Of course, Clarke immediate moved to the private elevator and made her way up to her girlfriend’s office. But Anya, she was in her office, finalizing the paperwork on a deal for the acquisition of a small local business before the New Year.

Knocking lightly, Raven waited until she heard the quiet ‘come in’ before turning the knob.

“Ms. Reyes?” Anya did a double take when she saw Raven.

“It’s nearly time to do the reveal. Everyone was wondering where you went off to,” Raven said, proudly keeping her nerves out of her voice.

Arching a brow, Anya responded evenly, “And they sent the assistant director of IT to find me?”

All Raven could do was shrug. She didn’t have a good back up explanation for her presence there. Best stick to the story she and Clarke had worked out.

“Clarke and Ms. Woods will be waiting for you, I’m sure.”

“You call your best friend’s girlfriend by her last name?” Anya scoffed, her eyes falling to the paper work again. She signed her name one last time and closed the folder. “That’s odd. Don’t you think?”

Raven raised a shoulder and smiled, “She’s my boss when we’re here. I just don’t want to disrespect that.”

Anya stood up and nodded. That was a good thing. Not wanting to cross boundaries. She gathered the last gift for her Secret Santa and moved to open the door for Raven to leave her office. She took a moment to watch the dress move with the exquisite body underneath.

Of course, she had no idea who had given Raven such an amazing gift in that necklace. A boyfriend perhaps. Or a girlfriend. Anya hadn’t clue. But it drew Anya’s eyes down to her breasts, an area she was sure they shouldn’t be.

“That’s a lovely dress, Ms. Reyes.”

“Thank you,” Raven smiled. She ran her fingers over the pendant, “I got it to match the necklace my Secret Santa got me.”

That stopped Anya in her tracks. Surely she hadn’t heard that correctly, “Your Secret Santa got you a necklace? That’s a sizeable gift.”

“Maybe they’re expecting a big thank you,” Raven smirked and winked at her before pressing the button to call the elevator.

Somehow, Anya didn’t have a comeback for that. Not a single word came into her mind. Any fool would see Raven was beyond beautiful. Anya had noticed right away. She just never thought to pursue anything because… well… Legalities and not wanting to cross boundaries.

Now that someone else was crossing them though? Anya was more than willing to think about it.

They made it to the party floor with three minutes to spare. Or so Anya thought. As soon as Lexa spotted her stepping off the elevator, she announced the time had come to reveal themselves to their Secret Santas.

Raven turned to smile at Anya, certain that gift in the other woman’s hand was meant for her. Instead, she saw Anya walking up to Nyko, one of the guys in Med Research. He laughed at something she said and took the gift from her.

A tap of fingers to the bare skin of her shoulder had Raven turning to meet Luna Rivers’ eyes.

“Hey,” Luna said softly. She handed a gift to Raven with a shy smile. “Happy Hew Year, Raven.”

“Thanks,” Raven replied slowly.

She hadn’t seen that coming. She’d been sure the person giving her gifts was Anya. Luna was in a completely different department. Raven only saw her a few times a year at these company parties.

“You had a nice Christmas?” Luna asked.

Raven nodded, her eyes darting around to find Anya. She found her by Lexa and Clarke. She was bent down a little so Clarke could whisper something to her. Whatever she said had Anya blushing.

“Raven?” Luna touched her shoulder again.

“What? Oh. Yeah,” Raven nodded. “I had a great Christmas.”

Luna nodded. Then she rocked back on her heels, “I uh… I hope the gifts didn’t weird you out too much. It’s just that I – ”

“I hope I haven’t given you any kind of… I’m not…” Raven struggled for a way to let her down easily.

“Oh no! No,” Luna laughed and shook her head. “I’m happily married!”

She held up her hand and showed Raven her ring. She waved a man over, wrapping her arm around his waist.

“Then…” Raven said slowly. She ran her fingers over the pendant again. “Why?”

“I’m supposed to tell you to open the last gift,” Luna shrugged and grinned at her. “I will say I was particularly proud of my cousin when she told me her plan.”

“Cousin?” Raven echoed the word.

No response came of course. Luna and her husband disappeared into the crowd. Raven tried to spot Anya and Clarke again. Instead, she found Lexa standing by the private elevator, staring at her.

“Well, that’s disconcerting,” Raven muttered.

Shifting to search for the others, she remembered the long and slim gift in her hands. She moved to the edge of the crowd and slid her finger under the tape. She found the narrowest box she’d ever seen in her life underneath. After a brief struggle, she finally removed the top. Inside was a set of neatly folded papers.

“Come with me?” Lexa appeared next to her suddenly.

Raven shrieked and jumped away from her. Somehow, Lexa managed to catch the papers and the box while also helping Raven stay on her feet.

“Are you a ninja?” Raven hissed, pulling her elbow free from Lexa’s grip.

“No,” Lexa shook her head. She moved toward her private elevator again, “Come with me. Clarke wanted us to ring in the New Year together.”

Narrowing her eyes, Raven followed her, “Is this some sort of threesome proposal? Because as sexy as you both are, I’m not about to ruin my friendship with Clarke like that.”

“Thank you, I think,” Lexa laughed and shook her head again. She pressed the call button and held her hand to the scanner. “It isn’t like that though.”

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Lexa hit the button for the top floor and handed Raven her papers again. She wiggled her brows, the most un-Lexa-like thing Raven had ever seen her do, and Raven had seen her eat a chili cheese dog once!

Ignoring the weird woman next to her, Raven opened the papers and started reading. Then she froze. Even when the doors opened and Lexa stepped out, Raven didn’t move.

“Rae?” Clarke said slowly, watching her best friend.

Instead of answering, Raven blinked her mind clear. Her eyes darted around until she found Anya. She was calm and collected, leaning back against Lexa’s private bar, a glass of some fancy liquor in her hand, just lifting it to her lips, a smirk stretching them.

Marching right up to the woman, Raven held them up, “I’m getting promoted?”

“You are,” Anya nodded. “That was Lexa’s doing.”

“And there’s non-disclosure papers in here,” Raven added, like Anya hadn’t spoken at all.

“There are,” Anya nodded again.

Raven slammed them on the bar, “Why?”

“I can’t ask you on a date until you sign them,” Anya replied quietly.

Moving to the balcony, Clarke and Lexa gave them a bit of privacy. They watched though. And Clarke had learned to read lips when she was a kid so she was telling Lexa everything being said anyway.

“You want to ask me out?” Raven asked.

Anya set down the drink and reached for Raven’s hands. She smiled, “Did you really think I didn’t know you were purposefully sending viruses to my computer just so you could come and see me? Or that I had no idea you were finding reasons to pop into my office? How often does an IT girl need to speak to the head of legal?”

“I’m so smooth,” Raven groaned quietly.

“Ms. Reyes?” Anya said softly, stepping closer to her.

Tipping her head back to meet her eyes, Raven blushed, “Yes?”

“Sign the papers so I can kiss you,” Anya husked, her hands releasing Raven’s and moving to settle on her hips. “Please?”

Raven nodded, blindly reaching for the papers. She read through them quickly, making sure nothing was hiding in there before she signed her name. Then she turned to Anya and grabbed the collar of her blouse, bringing their lips together in a surprisingly soft kiss.

“It isn’t midnight yet!” Lexa shouted through the glass separating the couples.

“It is!” Clarke yelled right after. She kissed her girlfriend thoroughly.

****

Two hours later, Anya dropped Raven off at the apartment she shared with Clarke. She found Clarke and Lexa inside, cuddled up on the couch, watching Netflix.

“You guys were just having sex weren’t you?” Raven sighed as she took in their disheveled appearance.

“Nope,” Clarke denied.

Rolling her eyes, Raven made her way to her bedroom. She was almost there when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal Anya.

“Lexa just text me,” Anya wiggled her phone. She looked over Raven’s head and laughed. “She wants me to take you to her place for the night, so she can have Clarke to herself.”

“She should have taken Clarke to hers then,” Raven turned to glare at her friends.

Clarke blushed and dropped her head to Lexa’s shoulder, “We were going to, but I got distracted.”

“Are you wearing pants?” Raven asked.

Two shaking heads had her sighing again. She moved to her room to pack a bag. Then she and Anya were on the road again.

Anya let her into Lexa’s penthouse and showed her to the guest room. She pulled her to the front door, and smiled before kissing Raven again.

“Want to grab breakfast?” Anya asked quietly as she opened the door.

“I don’t want you to have to come all the way over here again,” Raven shook her head. “What about lunch?”

Anya laughed and shook her head, “I live right there.”

She jerked a finger over her shoulder to the door on the opposite side of the hallway.

“Then yes,” Raven smiled. “Breakfast. Your place. 9 o’clock.”

Anya grinned, “Happy Hew Year, Raven.”

“Oh! I like that. I like how you say my name!” Raven blushed and kissed her again. “Happy New Year, Anya.”

Just before Raven could close the door, Anya spoke again, “Clarke told me to ask you about the gift you got me.”

Blushing harder, Raven shook her head. She sighed and said, “It’s in my bag. If you’re lucky, I’ll give it to you at breakfast.”

“Well then,” Anya beamed, “I’m really looking forward to the morning!”

”Hey!” Raven said as she closed the door. “Why did Luna get me all those gifts? They were... thought out. Very generous too.”

Anya’s eyes dropped to the necklace, “She May have given you the gifts but no one ever said she’d boight them.”

”Did you?” Raven asked, smiling gently. 

Returning there smile, Anya winked at her, “Happy New Years, Ms. Reyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
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> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!
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> This is it!! All done!!
> 
> Except for the possible spin-offs and what not. If there's a one-shot in this series you'd like to see more of, let me know in the comments here!! Let your voice be heard!!


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